In the past it has been attacking players like Clint Dempsey and, even further back, Landon Donovan that have received great recognition for their contributions to the U.S. Men’s National Team. However, recently it has been the squad’s defending that has earned them such high praise.

With a new guard sitting in front of goalkeeper Brad Guzan, the USMNT has seemingly found their ideal back four for the foreseeable future. John Brooks has emerged as a stalwart central defender, as shown by his countless heroics in Saturday’s 1-0 win against Paraguay, as well as Fabian Johnson, who has been pushed back to defense to fill what was previously a great need at left back.

While the team’s most recent win against their CONMEBOL opposition pushed them through to the Copa America quarterfinals, Jurgen Klinsmann’s squad faced test after test against a relentless Paraguay side.

Young outside back DeAndre Yedlin was sent off just minutes into the second half after picking up two quick yellow cards, which should have forced the Americans into panic mode. Instead, the defense and goalkeeper Brad Guzan stood tall, staving off adversity and possible elimination in the process with a tenacious effort.

“I think we’ve always had that,” Guzan said. “We’ve shown that at different times and it’s nice to be able to do it on such a big stage especially with our backs against the wall when a lot of you guys probably didn’t give us a chance.

“You need that toughness to build on because we have quality players that can play good football and can change the game for us but you need that resolute defending. You need that hunger and desire to block shots and put your body on the line. We definitely have that and showed that tonight.”

Much of the team’s success on the night could be attributed to Brooks, who made countless interventions during the most critical moments. The 23-year-old defender most notably broke up a three-on-one attack with vital challenge in the penalty area in the first half that could have easily changed the complexion of the match prior to Dempsey’s finish.

While the defense’s effort as a whole is encouraging heading into the knockout rounds, Brooks’ performance stood out to the rest of his teammates and coaching staff.

“You’re just impressed by the learning curve a younger player goes through and you’re just happy for that process,” Klinsmann said of the young centerback. “A year ago, a lot of people were vey critical of him, and I said that he has to have those experiences. He needs to make mistakes to grow. There’s no growth without failure for nobody. He grew. Similar to Yedlin, where he was a year ago and where he is now, like Bobby Wood. You have to give amazing credit to our veteran players.

“Clint finishing off, being clinical, being Clint. Jermaine [Jones] being a warrior all over the field. Michael [Bradley] running I don’t know, it’s a team that really is having a good time and is there for each other and the whole bench is right there. No matter who you bring in, they’ll give everything they have and it’s just fun to watch. That performance by John was definitely something special. We have to keep him grounded.”

Brooks and co. shined on Saturday night, but it’s been the team’s defensive effort throughout the tournament that has really drawn attention to Klinsmann’s new back four.

During the group stage, the USMNT conceded two goals, both of which came against Colombia in their Copa America opener. On top of that, neither goal was allowed through the run of play, which shows clear signs of progress for the U.S. defense.

The Copa America was always going to be a challenge for the U.S., and is for every country that participates in it, but the team’s two latest matches in particular have certainly built up character and will serve as critical lessons heading into the quarterfinals.

“For sure,” Guzan said. “We knew going into this tournament, going into this group, that these two games, this one and Costa Rica, were going to be important to us, knowing how good Colombia is. So we knew before the tournament started these are two big games and we were just happy to get results.”