Brazil back at Maracana after 6 years for Copa America final

Brazil’s home is Maracana Stadium. Brazil is going home on Sunday for the first time in six years.

The Maracana will stage the Copa America final, where Brazil will play for a 10th title against defending champion Chile or underdog Peru.

The final will mark the first match for many Brazil players at the 87,000seat Rio de Janeiro stadium which has featured two World Cup finals, the Rio de Janeiro Olympic soccer finals, and many other great matches.

Even Brazil’s Tite has not coached at the Maracana since he took the job in 2016.

“Now I will truly become the coach of the national team,” Tite jokingly said at Mineirao Stadium after beating Argentina 2-0 in the semifinals.

“Players always say that you only become a footballer if you played at the Maracana. It is the same thing for the coach.”

The last Brazil match at the stadium was in June 2016, when the Selecao routed then world and European champion Spain 3-0 in the 2013 Confederations’ Cup final.

Brazilian fans are expected to recreate that electric atmosphere and back the team to its first Copa America title since 2007.

Chile and Peru meet in Porto Alegre later Wednesday for the other place in the final.

Brazil was initially scheduled to end its most recent World Cup qualifying campaign at the Maracana. But the match against Chile in October 2017 was moved to Sao Paulo’s Allianz Parque due to legal problems involving the Maracana.

Corruption scandals and frequent changes in the administration stained the stadium that was revamped for the 2014 World Cup. Brazil would have played at its Rio home if it had reached the final, but losing to Germany 7-1 in the semifinals delayed its return.

The Maracana has not been used for Brazil friendlies in years. In recent times, only the country’s Olympic team has played there, including in the final of the 2016 Rio Games.

Tite was not in charge of that young team, but defender Marquinhos and striker Gabriel Jesus were present to win the gold medal after a penalty shootout against Germany.

VICTOR R. CAIVANO — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Brazil’s Dani Alves celebrates his team’s 2-0 victory over Argentina at the end of their Copa America semifinal soccer match at Mineirao stadium in Belo Horizonte, Brazil Tuesday.