I’ve ragged on the U.S. men’s national team for all sorts of reasons: Really stupid uniforms, the continued employ of Bob Bradley (until about, oh, a week ago), an inability to do anything except shrivel on foreign soil in their CONCACAF region, and an allergy to controlled and sensible first touches.

But I can’t knock them for choking against Brazil on Sunday. Because they didn’t. And, if you’ve watched the NCAA Tournament, you’ve probably seen the same scenario before.

Yes, the first half of the game, from a scoring standpoint, was as near-perfect as possible. Another Jonathan Spector cross whipped into the box and netted by Clint Dempsey and an ambitious, breathtaking, and technically flawless two-man counterattack from Charlie Davies and Landon Donovan provided a two-goal advantage at halftime.

By my eyes, though, the Americans were not in total control of the game. Their goals came on quick stabs, rather than as a result of steady, probing development, and Brazil walloped the Stars and Stripes in possession, at one point in the first half holding a massive 59-41 advantage that portended ill.

This game was the equivalent of a Cinderella team bombing a few threes and taking an eight-point halftime lead. The U.S. team, like many Cinderellas, is one with a few standout players on a squad better known for its streaky play; Brazil was North Carolina, or Connecticut, stacked with studs and only kept down by fortune.

The U.S. went to halftime up by two goals, in a better position than they held against Spain, but with a far less dominant half behind them. The Brazilians seemed destined to score, despite a Herculean effort by Tim Howard and good work from much of the active American back line.

Then, as if the prospect of defending a two-goal lead for longer than an entire March Madness game were not enough, Brazil’s Luis Fabiano received a pass, turned, and fired at the top of the box, scoring his first goal almost before the echoes of the second half whistle died.

ESPN’s GameCast contains two entries, back-to-back, from the 46th minute:

46′ USA kick off.

46′ GOAL! USA 2-1 Brazil.

It happened in a flash, and put the U.S. permanently on its heels; while it was able to press against Spain into the second half, sparing Howard and his defense at least briefly, the siege started early in the final and lasted until the whistle.

Howard’s magic was only so potent, and the American team’s steam ran out well before their dream could be realized. Without midfielder Michael Bradley, out thanks to a silly red card against Spain, his father/coach Bob had no go-to substitutes; Brazil’s Dunga could pluck Elano and Dani Alves from the bench. And Brazil should have won 4-2; that ball that pinballed off the crossbar was unquestionably over the line.

This wasn’t a choke, because the U.S. didn’t lose this game so much as the Brazilian’s stellar seleção won it, chopping Cinderella’s lead in half until the furious run in the final twenty minutes to put the game out of reach. And there are no one-and-one free throws in soccer.

It is also partly because of our location that we viewed this game as only a referendum on our nation’s progress: This was our chance to prove ourselves, the Confederations Cup, against good teams in the same venues that will host the 2010 World Cup. But the proudest soccer nation on the planet had questions to answer, too, especially after a rollicking 4-3 opening win against Egypt that sent shocks to the system and invited questions about a side lacking two heroes of 2002, Ronaldinho and Ronaldo, due to form issues.

The Brazilians allowed just two goals the rest of the tournament, and trailed for only 74 minutes, sambaing past everything on the pitch when on form, restoring confidence in themselves when behind, and getting lucky enough when off their game (as they were, in a huge way, against South Africa) to advance. They played, as is their wont, beautiful soccer, and it verges on impossible to top an all-parts-in-order Brazilian side when their venerable talent fuses with their potentially transcendent form to create football Voltron.

For a half on Sunday, the Americans were better than what the mighty Brazilians could muster. That, and the sting that will stay with this team after faltering in the last throes of this tournament, will power this team entering World Cup qualifying against an inferior slate of CONCACAF foes.

But if they fail to qualify for the Cup? Chokers and frauds.