Ten-Player U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team Falls on Penalty Kicks to Brazil Following 2-2 Semifinal Draw at 2024 Pan American Deaf Games

CANOAS, Brazil (Nov. 13, 2024) – The U.S. Men’s Deaf National Team played down a man for 30 minutes of extra time and used goals from brothers Braden and Dawson Anderson to earn a 2-2 draw only to fall 6-5 in penalty kicks to hosts Brazil in the semifinals of the Pan American Deaf Games at Complexo Esportivo da Ulbra. With the defeat, the USA moves to Friday’s Bronze Medal Match, against either Argentina or Mexico with the winner also qualifying for the 2025 Deaflympics in Tokyo.

The match was a back-and-forth battle for 120 minutes with each team trading momentum and goals through regulation and extra time.

The USA jumped out to an early lead in the 10th minute with a brilliant transition goal that saw Chris Bourdon break through from midfield toward the Brazil goal with a myriad of defenders giving chase. With options to shoot or lay it off for on-rushing teammates, the forward chose the later, baiting the goalkeeper to commit and then sliding the ball to his left for Braden Anderson to finish just ahead of a crashing defender into an empty goal.

The USA finished the half with a 1-0 lead, but only through the work of young goalkeeper Erik Jaspers who twice saved one-on-one goal-bound shots to keep Brazil off the board. The first came in the 19th minute when Renato Pinto broke through the USA’s defensive line and was able to dribble in alone on goal from 30 yards, only to have Jaspers stymie him with a save near the top of the box. Then in the 34th minute, he came up big again, this time making himself big in traffic to stop an uncontested shot from Valteir Gonçalvesin the penalty area.

Brazil finally got on the board in the 64th minute taking advantage a service into the area from the left wing that missed its initial target but eventually fell to Vitor Figueiroato slot home from eight yards.

A red card to second half USA sub JJ Waterman in the third minute of second-half stoppage time made the task more difficult for the visiting USA Deaf MNT in Brazil, but the team was more than up to the challenge, generally dominating the game’s final moments and 30 minutes of extra time. In the end, the US ended up with a 9-4 shot advantage, and an 8-3 lead in corners kicks.

In extra time, the USA immediately gained the advantage on a crazy goal in which 16-year-old substitute Daniel De Moura was upended in the box with no penalty called, and while most of the focus was on that action, the Brazilian goalkeeper was unable to cleanly control the rebounding ball from the collision. This allowed Dawson Anderson to kick it loose and roll it unchallenged into an empty net as play continued and players and observers were unsure where to turn their focus.

Just two minutes later, the USA was awarded a penalty kick, but with a chance to extend the lead to 3-1, Bourdon, a force in the offensive attack for an unrelenting 120 minutes, rattled his attempt off the post, missing that third goal by a mere inches.

Brazil tied the game before the end of the first 15-minute extra frame, though, with Otavio de Oliveira getting around the USA defense along the end line in the 104th minute and calmly slotting a ball back to the top of the goalkeeper area for Mateus to easily put home.

In the penalty kick shootout, Bourdon had a chance to earn the USA the win in the fifth round, but his shot was saved by Gleidson, eventually leading to Brazil besting the USA 6-5, as Lucas Henrique slotted his take past Jaspers.

With the result, the USA moves to Friday’s Bronze Medal Match, against the loser of today’s other semifinal between Argentina and Mexico. The winner of the third-place game will punch a ticket to the 2025 Deaflympics along with the two finalists.

-U.S. MEN’S DEAF NATIONAL TEAM MATCH REPORT-

Match: United States Men’s Deaf National Team vs. Brazil
Date: Nov. 13, 2024
Competition: Pan American Deaf Games 2024 – Semifinal
Venue: Complexo Esportivo da Ulbra; Canoas, Brazil
Attendance: N/A
Kickoff: 9 a.m. local (7 a.m. ET)
Weather: 70 degrees, sunny

Penalty Kick Shootout:
USA – Dawson Anderson (goal), Aidan Burns (goal), Braden Anderson (goal), David Dircio (goal), Chris Bourdon (saved), Erik Jaspers (goal), Kevin Fitzpatrick (saved)
BRA -- Valteir Gonçalves (goal), Luan (goal), Ualas (miss), Juan Oliveira (goal), Otavio de Oliveira (goal), Vitor Figueiroa (goal), Lucas Henrique (goal)

Lineups:
USA: 12-Erik Jaspers, 2-Samson Abraham (18-Aidan Burns, 46), 3-Raul Silva (15-David Dircio, 111), 6-Dawson Anderson, 7-Chris Bourdon, 8-Eddie Perry, 10-Braden Anderson, 11-JP Kanashiro (20-JJ Waterman, 68), 16-Kevin Fitzpatrick, 21-Bennett Haas (23-Daniel De Moura, 72), 22-Michael Schmid (Capt.) (19-Arthur Goncalves, 46)
Substitutes not used: 1-Sam Lang, 4-Luke Haubruge, 5-Kevin Oladdimeji, 9-Thomas Salvi, 13-Chad Johnson, 14-Owen Jacobs, 17-Tate Lancaster
Head coach: Everett Palache

BRA: 1-Gleidson, 2-Mateus, 3-Kauê da Silva (18-Otavio de Oliveira, 63), 4-Diego de Lima, 6-Gesselio Rodrigues (15-Ualas, 63), 8-Vitor Figueiroa, 9-Valteir Gonçalves, 10-Renato Pinto (20-Mikael, 105+2) 11-Juan Oliveira, 13-Luan, 14-Gustavo Figueiredo (16-Lucas Henrique, 46)
Substitutes not used: 5-Marcos, 7-Fabio de Sousa, 12-Luciano, 17-Ederson, 19-Luiz Henrique Pereira, 21-Fagner dos Santos, 22-Arthur, 23-Paulo Almeida
Head coach: N/A

Stats Summary: USA / BRA
Shots: 9 / 4
Shots on Goal: 5 / 4
Saves: 2 / 2
Corner Kicks: 9 / 3
Fouls: 15 / 12
Offside: 1 / 4

Misconduct Summary:
USA – Michael Schmid (Caution) 28th minute
BRA – Vitor Figueiroa (Caution) 45+1
BRA - Kauê da Silva (Caution) 58
USA – Eddie Perry (Caution) 83
USA – Raul Silva (Caution) 90
USA – JJ Waterman (Ejection) 90+3
BRA - Renato Pinto (Caution) 102

Officials:
N/A