Brazil's high-profile attack failed to find the back of the net in their opening match of the Copa America, shockingly tying 0-0 with Costa Rica at SoFi Stadium on Monday.
The Selecao were, as expected, the dominant side throughout with 74% of possession and 19 shots and appeared to take the lead around the half-hour mark courtesy of Marquinhos. Brazil earned a free kick near the penalty area and Raphina's cross landed to the Paris Saint-Germain player, who scored from close range. A lengthy VAR check, though, revealed that one of his teammates was offside on the play and so the goal was called back.
NO GOAL FOR BRAZIL
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 25, 2024
After review the goal is disallowed ❌ pic.twitter.com/Bb8T2TzsZB
An attack boasting the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo tried eagerly to find an actual opening goal and though they were close on a few occasions, Brazil could never quite find the finish line. The favorites were ultimately fairly wasteful with their chances -- while they outshot Costa Rica 19-2, they put just four of their attempts on target and underperformed after posting 1.66 expected goals during the game.
Brazil head coach Dorival Junior hoped his options off the bench would make a difference, most notably putting on 17-year-old Endrick for Vinicius Junior in the 71st minute. While the shot count grew, the substitutes were unable to disrupt the misfiring rhythm of the team's attack.
This marks an impressive result for Costa Rica, who boast the youngest team in the competition made up chiefly of players in the domestic league. Los Ticos did not enter the Copa America with a lot of optimism because of their inexperience, especially in comparison to the mostly-retired golden generation that went to the 2014 World Cup quarterfinals but came out of a tough test relatively unscathed despite failing to put a single shot on target. Their manager, Gustavo Alfaro, produced the result with an emphasis on defense and holding a low block, applying pressure in numbers.
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The scoreless draw revives doubt in Brazil, a team that had high expectations at the Copa America but has been in up-and-down form over the last few months. They finished 2023 in sixth place in CONMEBOL's 10-team World Cup qualifying table, winning just twice in six games. They rebounded in March with a 1-0 win over England and a 3-3 draw with Spain, but a 1-1 draw with the U.S. men's national team earlier this month revealed some weaknesses, primarily an inability to finish off their chances.
The result leaves Colombia atop Group D after one round of games following their 2-1 win over Paraguay earlier on Monday, while Brazil and Costa Rica are tied for second with one point each.
Brazil resume their Copa America campaign on Friday when they face Paraguay at Allegiant Stadium in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise.
