In a surprising turn of events, Brazil was held to a goalless draw by Costa Rica in their Copa America opener on Monday night.
Despite dominating play and outshooting Costa Rica 18-2, Brazil’s offense was stymied by a resolute defense led by goalkeeper Patrick Sequeira, who made three crucial saves and recorded his fourth consecutive clean sheet.
Brazil seemed in control throughout, but their efforts to break the deadlock were thwarted, including an apparent goal by Marquinhos in the first half that was disallowed after a lengthy VAR review.
The stalemate in front of a lively crowd of 67,158 at SoFi Stadium, predominantly filled with Brazilian fans, left the Seleção frustrated.
This draw puts Colombia at the top of Group D following their 2-1 victory over Paraguay.
Brazil, a nine-time Copa America champion, entered the tournament with a transitional squad featuring Real Madrid stars Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo, but their start was less than ideal.
Costa Rica’s achievement was monumental, as the young CONCACAF team, known for its tenacious defense and overachievement, managed to hold Brazil at bay.
This result ended a streak of nine consecutive losses to Brazil.
The first half saw Brazil commanding with 75% possession. A notable moment came in the 22nd minute when Vinícius Júnior was brought down in the box by Haxzel Quirós, but no penalty was awarded.
In the 30th minute, Marquinhos thought he had scored after a free kick from Raphinha, but a 3 1/2-minute VAR review ruled it offside by a slim margin.
Another controversial moment occurred in the 39th minute when a shot by Lucas Paquetá appeared to strike the hand of Juan Pablo Vargas in the penalty area, but the referee did not call a penalty.
In the second half, Paquetá hit the post in the 63rd minute, and Costa Rica narrowly avoided an own goal when Quirós nearly headed the ball into his own net.
In the closing minutes, Rodrygo had multiple scoring opportunities but was denied by Sequeira and failed to get a foul call for an apparent trip in the box by Jeyland Mitchell.
Bruno Guimarães also missed a clear chance in injury time, pushing his shot wide.
Brazil’s transitional phase is evident, especially in the absence of Neymar, who has been sidelined since October 2023 due to a knee ligament injury.
Neymar addressed the team on Sunday and received cheers from the crowd when his image appeared on the scoreboard during the match.
The result leaves Brazil with much to contemplate as they aim to regain their footing in the tournament.
