Brazil advances to last eight after draw with Colombia

Did Ronaldinho have a point? Ridiculous as it sounds — Ronaldinho will definitely celebrate with the Selecao if Brazil wins this year’s Copa America — Brazil has looked surprisingly mediocre over their past three games, and they look nothing like the world-conquering teams of the early 2000s. Despite dominating Costa Rica in both possession and chances, Brazil was woefully wasteful and had to settle for a draw. They made light work of Paraguay in a 4-1 win. But, they entered a blockbuster matchup against Colombia needing a win to claim first in their group. With their recent results, it wouldn’t be ridiculous to say claiming a win looked unlikely.

This Brazil team, despite the quality of its star players, has looked frustrated at times. They looked frustrated playing against Costa Rica’s back five, leaning on counter-attacking chances and long shots to try to make a difference. Neymar’s absence is evident throughout the whole squad — at times, this Brazil squad is lacking in creativity and flair. And, they’ve carried a burden on them. They’ve been searching for a title for nearly five years, and they are dealing with memories of heartbreak and the stifling expectations of the media. Although it wouldn’t silence the criticism, a positive result against an in-form Colombia could mute the questions.

Munoz equalizer puts Colombia up top

For a minute, it looked like Brazil would return to its world-beating selves. Their early opener came through Raphinha, whose first goal since September for Brazil came at a vital time. His banging effort was almost robotic. Set the ball—size up the wall. Take a few striding steps toward the ball. Strike it. Repeat. His curling, spinning effort steadily rose over the Colombian wall and dipped just enough to nestle itself in the top right corner. Raphinha celebrated the goal as if he had just won the World Cup, and rightfully. The strike would take Brazil to the top of the group and set them up for a…

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Author : Deolu Akingbade

Publish date : 2024-07-03 04:22:00

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