Brazil had to wait until added time to resolve their opening match at the Copa América against a Peru side who played with abandon – too much for the Canarinho – but who were on the receiving end of a slow and painful defeat in Temuco.
Peru came out of the blocks full of belief and capitalized on a misunderstanding between David Luiz and Jefferson for Christian Cueva to open the scoring after just two minutes. Luiz is impossible to fathom. Every time he plays a football match his reputation as a great central defender, which he still carries in Europe and with the Brazil team, takes another hit. Luckily for the PSG man, Neymar came to the rescue before there was a chance to analyze errors. A Dani Alves cross from the right channel found the captain unmarked and he was able to nod home as though he was in his own living room. Four minutes, 1-1.
The game was worthy of a lunatic asylum; insanity that was principally contributed to by Brazil. The central midfield partnership of Elias and Fernandinho give the side a box-to-box presence but positionally they are all at sea. Brazil have traditionally been well-armed in the centre of the park but in their Copa debut it was entirely the opposite. Dunga opted for a frenetic encounter without quarter. Fortunately, even in such a panorama, Neymar can handle games like these with the ease of a superstar. Playing more centrally than he does for Barça he channelled the entire attacking verve of the side, and there was plenty of that. Everything went through the number 10. He is Brazil and he will be Brazil for many years to come.
Neymar could have scored twice, as could Diego Tardelli, but Peru hung on and also looked for the ticklish spots in the Brazil back four, of which there were several. There was no room for boredom. Quite the opposite. Neymar rattled the bar with a shot but even that failed to quell the spirit of a romantic Peru side who took on the Canarinho with no fear. The problem for Ricardo Gareca’s side was that the longer the game went on, the greater the threat from Brazil became.
Mistakes that up to that point had been conspicuous by their absence started to creep in. Luis Advíncula lost a ball to Douglas Costa, who shot wide after another unstoppable run by Neymar. Peru’s physical resistance was starting to run dry. With the possibility of nicking a point off Brazil was ever closer but that also weighed down on their backs. Neymar dragged a left-footed shot wide and it seemed Peru would hold on but in the final move of the match Neymar found Costa, who went through one-on-one and beat Pedro Gallese. Sometimes football is that cruel to the modest sides and smiles on the big names.
- Follow the Copa América timetable here.
- And the day-to-day fixtures here.