Shea's Curling Free-Kick

On This Day in 2015, a Stunning Free-Kick Cancelled Out by Another Late Goal in a Draw in Europe

Less than a week after a disappointing 3-2 loss to Denmark—a match that painfully exposed the United States Men's National Soccer Team's vulnerability in late-game situations—the national team sought redemption on European soil. The Denmark match had become the latest chapter in a troubling narrative, with the Americans conceding late goals at an alarming rate since the 2014 World Cup.

Before the Denmark defeat, the U.S. had struggled through inconsistent performances in the months following their Round of 16 exit in Brazil. Coach Jurgen Klinsmann was still wrestling with lineup challenges, rotating players in these European friendlies, and seeking to build a more resilient team capable of maintaining leads against quality international opposition.

The March 31 match against Switzerland at Stadion Letzigrund in Zurich was more than just another friendly. It represented an opportunity for the U.S. team to demonstrate progress in addressing their late-game collapses. With Switzerland having qualified for the 2014 World Cup and advanced to the knockout stage, too, the Americans hoped to prove they could compete with established European sides for a full 90 minutes. However, what unfolded on that spring night in Zurich would add another frustrating chapter to an increasingly concerning pattern.

The match unfolded against a backdrop of experimentation and transition. Klinsmann had been introducing new faces to the squad, including Stanford forward Jordan Morris, who replaced the injured Aron Johannsson. Another newcomer, Mexican-American goalkeeper William Yarbrough, would make his international debut as a second-half substitute.

The evening began with tactical discipline from both sides. The U.S. team created better chances in the first half, with Alejandro Bedoya repeatedly exploiting the Swiss left flank. Twice, Bedoya delivered inviting crosses from the right, but Gyasi Zardes blazed a left-foot volley high and wide in the 15th minute. The Nantes winger cut the ball back from the byline, and Michael Bradley fired well over in the 26th minute.

Brek Shea, playing in an unfamiliar left-back position, provided the magic moment just before halftime. After calling Jozy Altidore off the free kick, Shea confidently stepped up and curled a spectacular left-footed strike into the upper corner beyond Swiss goalkeeper Roman Buerki in the 45th minute. It marked Shea's fourth international goal and the first free-kick goal for the Americans since August 2013.

"I went up to it, and I've been working on it lately," Shea reflected. "I called Jozy off of it and said it was for a left-footer, and he let me take it, and I scored."

The halftime lead was the ninth straight match in which the Americans had scored in the first half. However, the recurring challenge was maintaining that advantage after the break.

The match's decisive moment came in the 68th minute, which had nothing to do with skillful play. Veteran forward Jozy Altidore, who had been enjoying strong recent performances for the national team, committed a rash foul on Swiss defender Francois Moubandje from behind. What followed proved catastrophic for the American side. Altidore directed verbal abuse at Italian referee Luca Banti, who immediately produced a red card, reducing the U.S. to ten men for the final twenty-two minutes.

Swiss pressure mounted relentlessly after the dismissal. In the 79th minute, the Americans narrowly escaped when defender John Brooks's attempted clearance rolled just wide of his own goal. Five minutes earlier, Swiss substitute Pajtim Kasami had headed over an open goal from close range.

The inevitable equalizer came in the 80th minute. Following a short corner kick, Granit Xhaka crossed into the penalty area, where defenders Timmy Chandler and Alfredo Morales both attempted to head the ball clear. Their collision left the ball bouncing freely in front of goal, and substitute Valentin Stocker pounced, poking home from just two yards out past the debuting Yarbrough.

Klinsmann saw the match as another painful lesson for his developing squad. "Obviously, we are disappointed with another late goal," he commented. "But I think the team showed a lot of character after going down to ten men. We need to learn how to close out these games."

The 1-1 draw extended a troubling pattern for the American side. In their last 13 matches, they conceded 13 goals from the 80th minute onward. Since the previous June, the U.S. had been outscored by a staggering 12-1 margin in the second half of matches.

It wouldn't be the Americans' last European test in the coming months. The team was scheduled to face Mexico in San Antonio on April 15 before returning to Europe for challenging away fixtures against the Netherlands in Amsterdam on June 5 and World Cup champions Germany in Cologne on June 10.

Meanwhile, off the pitch, thirteen U.S. Senators, including Wisconsin Republican Ron Johnson, Illinois Democrat Richard Durbin, and Arizona Republican John McCain, sent a letter to FIFA president Sepp Blatter the day after the Switzerland match. The lawmakers urged FIFA to consider taking the 2018 World Cup out of Russia because of what they called that country's "ongoing violations of the territorial integrity of Ukraine," suggesting that allowing Russia to host would "inappropriately bolster the prestige" of President Vladimir Putin's regime.

For now, though, Klinsmann and his squad faced the more immediate challenge of solving their late-game defensive frailties before facing their arch-rivals Mexico. Brek Shea summed up after the Switzerland draw: "Obviously, last game we were a bit disappointed, but they put in a good shift. And then this game, we went up and then getting a red card, it's hard, but the boys did well to grind out a result."