Brazil open Copa America big win
SAO PAULO, June 14, (AP): Brazil kicked off a Copa America tournament that has been opposed by some members of its own team with a 3-0 win over Venezuela on Sunday.
Marquinhos, Neymar and Gabriel Barbosa scored in the opener at Mané Garrincha stadium in Brasilia, less than a day after several Venezuelan players tested positive for COVID-19.
South American soccer’s governing body, CONMEBOL, chose Brazil as hosts less than two weeks ago, despite its alarming COVID-19 figures, after Argentina and Colombia were dropped as co-hosts.
Despite his opposition to staging the tournament in his home country, Brazil captain Casemiro said the defending champions intended to retain their trophy.
Venezuela summoned 15 new players at short notice after eight squad members tested positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, and the disruption showed on the field. The Seleção wasted opportunities but faced little resistance from Venezuela.
Brazil opened the scoring in the 23rd minute after a corner kick ended with Marquinhos striking from close range.
Brazil coach Tite - who also opposed holding the tournament - took Lucas Paquetá off at halftime, but kept Roberto Firmino on the bench. Instead, Everton Ribeiro went on and provided more dynamism on the right flank.
Ribeiro found Danilo on the right edge of the box, and the Brazilian was pushed to the ground. Neymar calmly scored from the spot in the 63rd to make it 2-0.
Neymar dribbled past the Venezuelan goalkeeper Joel Graterol and crossed for Barbosa to chest the ball into the empty net in the 89th. A flop at Inter Milan and Benfica, Barbosa is a hero at Brazilian club Flamengo, which wants him on the national team more often.
Brazil and Venezuela are in Group B with Colombia, Ecuador
and Peru. The four best teams in each group advance to the knockout stage.
The final of the South American championship will be on July 10 at the historic Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro, which also hosted the final two years ago when Brazil beat Peru 3-1 to win their ninth title.
A surprising choreographed move gave Colombia a 1-0 win against Ecuador in their first match of Copa America.
Edwin Cardona was the scored the winner at the Arena Pantanal in Cuiabá in the 42nd minute of a tense game.
The decisive moment started when midfielder Cardona took a free kick close to the edge of the Ecuadorian penalty box. Instead of shooting, he exchanged three short passes with Juan Guillermo Cuadrado, who moved the ball forward to where Miguel Borja was waiting.
Borja headed the ball back to Cardona, who had run toward goalkeeper Pedro Ortiz. He scored with a right-foot shot as Ecuadorian defenders watched on. The move had to be validated by video review.
The previous encounter between these teams ended 6-1 to Ecuador seven months ago in a World Cup qualifying game. Carlos Queiroz was fired as head coach after that heavy defeat. Sunday’s win was the second in three matches for Queiroz’ successor, Reinaldo Rueda.
The win against Ecuador was a further boost for Rueda, who has made some contention decisions early in his tenure, including the call to leave star midfielder James Rodriguez out of the Copa America squad.