Brazil are off to an underwhelming start at the Copa America after being held to a 0-0 draw in their opening clash with Costa Rica on Monday night.
Despite enjoying 74 percent of the ball in Los Angeles, the likes of Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo were unable to inspire the nine-time champions to victory in their first game at the tournament.
Instead, a resilient Costa Rica backline restricted them to just three shots on target in the game as the underdogs secured an invaluable and unexpected point in Group D.
Marquinhos thought he had fired Brazil ahead when he tapped in from close range after 33 minutes, only for VAR to deem that he did so while in an offside position and rule the goal out.
Rodrygo also felt he should have had a penalty when he was brought down inside the box in the first half, yet the referee waved away Brazilian protests.
Brazil are off to an underwhelming start at the Copa America after a 0-0 draw vs Costa Rica
The team known for decades of sublime offensive play never got closer to a scoring in front of a lively crowd of 67,158 dominated by their yellow-clad fans at SoFi Stadium.
The result leaves Colombia top of Group D after their 2-1 victory over Paraguay earlier in the evening.
Brazil has won the Copa America nine times, but its current transitional squad led by Real Madrid stars Vinicius and Rodrygo got off to a discouraging start.
The draw was a monumental achievement for Costa Rica, the undermanned CONCACAF team with the youngest roster in the tournament but a reputation for overachievement and sturdy defending. Los Ticos had lost nine straight meetings with Brazil.
Vinicius was taken down in the box in the 22nd minute by a big hit from Haxzel Quiros, but got no whistle.
In the 30th minute, Rodrygo went low to head on Raphinha’s free kick to Marquinhos, who banged it home at the far post. However, A four-minute VAR review then followed, before Mexican referee Cesar Ramos eventually agreed with the assistant’s decision to wave it off for offside by a minuscule margin.
Marquinhos saw a goal ruled out for offside 12 minutes before halftime in Los Angeles
Rodrygo also felt he should have been awarded a penalty after being brought down in the box
In the 39th minute, a kick by Lucas Paqueta appeared to go off a hand of Juan Pablo Vargas in the penalty area but Ramos made no call.
Paqueta ripped a shot off the post in the 63rd minute. Costa Rica then survived when Haxzel Quiros nearly headed the ball into his own net before Sequeira smothered it.
Costa Rica survived a few more moments of chaos beginning in the 86th minute, with Rodrygo failing to capitalize on a pair of scoring chances and not getting a foul call against Jeyland Mitchell in the box.
Bruno Guimaraes then had a clean look at the net in the first minute of injury time, but pushed it just wide.
Brazil’s national team is in a transitional period – particularly without Neymar, who hasn’t played since tearing a knee ligament in a match for Brazil last October. Neymar spoke to team Sunday before watching the match at SoFi Stadium, where he got massive cheers in the second half when his worried face appeared on the scoreboard.
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