CHICAGO (AP)

Ronaldinho converted a free kick in the 75th minute and Brazil had to rally to beat the United States 4-2 yesterday in the first of a two-match friendly tour to the United States.

It was the fifth straight defeat for the United States, their longest losing streak since 1994, and the Americans dropped to 1-12 against Brazil, who will play Mexico, on Wednesday, in Boston.

Carlos Bocanegra put the Americans ahead in the 21st minute off a Landon Donovan corner kick, but Brazil tied it with an own-goal off defender Oguchi Onyewu in the 33rd following a shot by Kaka. The South American champions went ahead when Lucio headed Ronaldinho's corner kick in the 53rd.

Clint Dempsey equalised for the Americans in the 73rd but Ronaldinho, a two-time FIFA player of the year, put a ball over the defensive wall two minutes later, easily beating goalkeeper Tim Howard. Elano converted a penalty kick in injury time after Michael Bradley pulled down Julio Baptista.

The U.S. team, CONCACAF champions, played Brazil evenly early.

Bocanegra scored off the first U.S. corner kick, running onto Donovan's corner and knocking the ball in, off his chest, past goalkeeper Doni.

It was just the seventh goal in 51 international appearances for Bocanegra, but two have been against Brazil. The last time the teams met, Bocanegra put the U.S. team ahead in a 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup match in Miami, but Brazil rallied to win 2-1 in overtime.

Brazil tied it when Robinho brought the ball down and passed to Ronaldinho, who made a pass that split the defence. Kaka shot from about 10 yards and goalkeeper Tim Howard batted the ball out, but it bounced off Onyewu's chest and rebounded back into the net.

Lucio then put Brazil ahead with only his third international goal. After a poor clearance by Bocanegra, he gave a corner kick to Ronaldinho that went to the far side of the penalty area, where Lucio had broken free unmarked and headed it in from an angle.