In what should have been an easy stroll, the Copa America opener of Brazil against Costa Rica morphed into a nail-biting sequence of missed chances and mounting frustrations.
The 65000 spectators at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles were left in stunned silence as the match ended in a goalless draw. Surely, this result will be severely disappointing for the Selecao.
Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, one of the world’s elite goalkeepers, experienced perhaps the most stress-free evening of his career.
With Costa Rica failing to produce a single shot on target, Alisson’s main role was simply to distribute the ball to his teammates.
The former Roma star completed all 15 of his passes, even venturing near the midfield circle to participate in Brazil’s dominating possession play, which peaked at 80 per cent in the first five minutes and settled at 74 per cent overall.
Despite their dominance, Brazil’s attempts were consistently blocked. Real Madrid’s Rodrygo had the first real chance. But he narrowly missed the far post after a diagonal run.
Brazil seemed to have scored in the 30th minute when Marquinhos converted an inswinging set piece, but the goal was swiftly disallowed by VAR for offside, much to the underdogs’ relief.
A Quiet Night For Alisson As Well As Brazil: Moral Victory For Costa Rica
Costa Rica’s defensive tenacity was epitomized by their goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira. He plays for the third-division Spanish side Ibiza.
Sequeira made several key saves, including a quick reflex stop to prevent an own goal from Haxzel Quiros and a full-stretch dive to block a powerful shot from Guilherme Arana. Even though Costa Rica faced 19 shots and nine corners, their defence remained steadfast.
Alisson’s quiet night contrasted sharply with Sequeira’s heroics. The Brazilian keeper’s most significant involvement was collecting a feeble attempt from Alejandro Bran, one of only two shots Costa Rica managed, neither of which posed any real threat.
As the final whistle blew, Costa Rica celebrated a historic draw. In contrast, Brazil was left to rue their missed chances. The Selecao will need to reboot quickly as they prepare to face Paraguay, seeking their first taste of win.
Meanwhile, Costa Rica will aim for another miraculous result against a strong Colombian side in Phoenix.
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