International superpower Brazil failed to make an early impression in their first Copa America match on Monday night, drawing 0-0 with Costa Rica.
Though Brazil outshot Costa Rica 18-2 and still controlled the game, the defense, anchored by goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira, kept the Selecao scoreless for the fourth time in a row with three key stops.
Brazil Player Ratings vs Costa Rica Highlights:
Following a protracted VAR review, a goal by Marquinhos of Brazil in the first half was also disallowed. Renowned for their exceptional attacking performance for many years, the squad failed to score and was constantly interrupted by dubious referee decisions in front of a boisterous 67,158 spectators at Sofi Stadium, most of whom were yellow-clad supporters.
Colombia defeated Paraguay 2-1 to take the lead in Group D as a result. Nine-time Copa America champion Brazil suffered a poor debut season with their current transitional squad, which is led by Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo of Real Madrid.
Costa Rica, the youngest squad in the competition and a team renowned for their outstanding accomplishments and powerful defense, was pleased with their draw. Los Ticos had dropped their last nine games versus Brazil.
With 75% of the possession in the first half, Brazil was in complete control from the outset. Heixzel Quiros made a forceful tackle that knocked Vinicius down in the box in the 22nd minute, but no whistle was blown. Rodrigo headed Raphinha’s free kick in the thirty-first minute, and Marquinhos scored at the far post. Mexican referee Cesar Ramos ultimately upheld the assistant’s call, declaring it offside by a slim margin, following a 3 1/2 minute VAR review.
Juan Pablo Vargas’s hand looked to be struck by a Lucas Paqueta kick in the 39th minute, but Ramos chose not to call it. Paqueta’s attempt struck the post in the sixty-third minute. Heixzel Quiros almost placed the ball in his own net, but Sequeira made the save to save Costa Rica.
From the 86th minute on, Costa Rica had more chaotic moments as Rodrigo missed two scoring opportunities and was not given a foul in the area against Jelland Mitchell. In the opening minute of injury time, Bruno Guimaraes had a nice chance on target, but he missed.
With Neymar out of the picture after rupturing his knee ligaments in a match in October of last year, the Brazilian national team is going through a change. Before the match on Sunday at Sofi Stadium, Neymar addressed the players. When his worried expression appeared on the scoreboard during the second half, he earned a lot of applause.
After the break, the one-sided match continued. In the sixty-third minute, Lucas Paqueta tried a long-range goal, but Patrick Sequeira, the Costa Rican goalkeeper, made a fantastic stop against Guilherme Arana’s deadly effort. In an attempt to salvage a victory, coach Dorival Junior substituted rookies Savio and Endrick in the 70th minute. However, Paqueta’s two attempts missed in the last ten minutes, leaving the nine-time winners without a goal.
Colombia is leading Group D after defeating Paraguay 2-1 on Monday.
Defender and Goalie
Alisson(6/10): He was rarely put to the test and always performed as needed.
Danilo (6/10): He did a good job of controlling the flank, but he was ineffective as captain when it mattered most. He was not as driven and focused as a “leader” ought to be.
Marquinhos (7/10): Although he scored a fantastic goal, it was disallowed because a teammate was offside. The PSG player had a rough evening, but generally, he performed well.
Eder Militao (7/10): Continued to be a threat on set pieces, maintained composure when necessary, and handled the ball efficiently from the back.
Guilherme Arana (6/10): He did not particularly stick out, but he handled the flank adequately. He was calm in a defensive manner.
Middle of the field
Joao Gomes (7/10): The young Wolves player performed admirably. He appeared to be Guimaraes’s ideal future mate.
Bruno Guimaraes (7/10): He did a fantastic job of managing the game. a fantastic midfielder who kept the game moving at a steady pace.
Lucas Paquetá (6/10): In the last third, he had a lot of opportunities. Even though he was unsuccessful in scoring, he remained Brazil’s most dangerous player the entire game.
Assault
Rodrygo (5/10): He didn’t have the finest of nights. He didn’t appear at ease in the center and didn’t provide a threat in front of the net.
Vinicius Junior (5/10): Left the game with 20 minutes left due to subpar play. He never got going and did not give it his all.
Raphinha (6/10): gave breadth and did a good job on set pieces, but they were unable to provide much of a threat to score goals.
Manager and Stand-ins
Endrick (6/10): Added additional dynamics to the box with his introduction with 20 minutes remaining, but it had no effect.
Savio (6/10): had a few outstanding moments during his 20-minute cameo, but made little of an impression in the box.
Gabriel Martinelli (N/A): With seven minutes remaining, I brought it on. made a minimal impact on the assault. Dorival Júnior (4/10): Dorival was unable to draw any conclusions from Brazil’s assault. All went wrong against Costa Rica as a result of his terrible approach going forward. In the second game, he might have to start Endrick or Evanilson.
