The United States Men's National Team's 2-1 Copa America Centenario quarterfinal win over Ecuador was a chaotic one. After a relatively mild first half, the second half saw four yellow cards and two red cards split between the two teams, but there was one very calm presence on the USMNT: center back John Brooks.
As the U.S. has made a deep run in the tournament, Brooks has been the force leading the team to success. Over the four games the Americans have played at Copa América, Brooks has managed 34 clearances in total, eight of them coming against Ecuador. As part of the US defense, Brooks has faced 58 total shots from his opposition, 18 of them on target. Only three resulted in goals, thanks to the defensive play of the Hertha Berlin man -- and who knows how many potential shots were prevented at the last second by his great defending.
Brooks has come a long way since making his USMNT debut in 2013. First riding the bench on Jurgen Klinsmann's team, he made the 2014 World Cup squad and came off the bench and scored the now famous goal to beat Ghana that he dreamt about. Soon afterward, Klinsmann began transitioning the defender into a starting role, but consistency was hard to find for Brooks. Frequently making defensive mistakes throughout the next year, including the incredibly disappointing 2015 Gold Cup, Brooks looked like a liability, and was temporarily relegated to the U-23 team last fall after a poor string of performances.
Brooks' rebound started at the club level. After similar inconsistencies with his club team, he cemented his spot in the center of Hertha's defense as they finished seventh in the Bundesliga, earning them a berth in Europa League qualification. He is so important to the Berlin club that coach, Pál Dárdai, has deemed it inconvenient that the Copa América Centenario could interfere with Brooks' preseason plans.
Brooks' rise has mirrored that of the United States, who were looking at the Copa América Centenario as their own opportunity to correct a frustrating 2015. They didn't change the minds of any doubters against Colombia, but Brooks' importance was already clear to see. Though many wanted an overhaul of sorts in terms of the lineup, no one called for Brooks' benching -- he was one of the few blameless players in the 2-0 defeat. If the U.S. was to succeed in the following matches, it was going to be with Brooks around.
His biggest match of the tournament so far came in the crucial final group stage match against Paraguay. The U.S., in good position to advance to the next round, but needing a result against their opponents to seal the deal. Going up early through a Clint Dempsey goal in the 27th minute, Paraguay were on heightened alert, needing a win to keep their Copa dreams alive. Paraguay launched 19 shots at the U.S. defense, but most weren't high-quality, and none found the back of the net. The center back managed clearances and blocks that helped the U.S. to their 302-minute clean sheet streak, broken in the 74th minute of the quarterfinal match by Ecuador's Michael Arroyo.
Though the U.S. were booked left and right and will be missing three starters come the semifinal on Tuesday, the most important development of the card frenzy was that Brooks avoided getting booked himself. Barring any unfortunate last minute injury, Brooks will start in what is the most important game this U.S. team has played in recent history. After years of looking for competent center backs, Brooks' strong performances have allowed Klinsmann to keep a consistent and secure backline, an ultimately important asset for any team looking to make a deep run in a major tournament.