Favoured Brazil’s Copa America campaign got off to a stuttering start as they were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by a resolute Costa Rica side in Los Angeles. Despite dominating possession (74%) and peppering the goal with shots (19), the nine-time champions couldn’t find a way past Keylor Navas and the Costa Rican defence.
A glimmer of hope appeared for Brazil in the 30th minute when Marquinhos tapped in from a Raphinha free-kick. However, their celebrations were short-lived as the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) intervened, ruling out the goal for offside.
Dorival Jr, Brazil’s manager, opted to inject fresh legs in the second half, bringing on highly-rated youngsters Endrick (recently signed by Real Madrid) and Savio. Despite their attacking intent, they couldn’t unlock the Costa Rican defence. Lucas Paqueta, the West Ham midfielder, came close on several occasions, hitting the woodwork just past the hour mark and missing two good opportunities later in the game.
Paqueta acknowledged the team’s shortcomings and stressed the need for improvement in their next match against Paraguay. “We played well, fought till the end, and I had some good chances myself,” he admitted. “We’re frustrated not to win, but we’ll take confidence from this performance. We need to be sharper in front of goal, myself included, to convert these chances into victories.”
Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro used a movie reference to highlight his team’s underdog status. “We were like Bruce Willis in ‘The Sixth Sense,'” he said. “Everyone thought we were out of the picture before the game even started, but we showed great spirit and defended brilliantly.”
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Colombia Take Early Lead in Group D with Rodriguez Masterclass
In the other Group D encounter, Colombia edged past Paraguay 2-1, thanks in large part to a vintage performance by attacking midfielder James Rodriguez. Despite limited playing time with Sao Paulo in the lead-up to the Copa America, the 32-year-old playmaker proved his class.
Rodriguez orchestrated both goals for Colombia. His pinpoint cross found the head of Daniel Munoz for the opener in the 32nd minute. Just before halftime, he whipped in a delightful free-kick that Crystal Palace’s Jefferson Lerma glanced into the net.
Paraguay threatened a comeback with Julio Enciso’s volley in the 69th minute, but Colombia held on to secure a crucial three points. They face Costa Rica next on Friday before a much-anticipated clash against Brazil on July 2nd.
