Although Brazil had the majority of possession, Costa Rica’s deep defense made it difficult to plan against their superior opponents.
Brazil were frustrated early by a number of questionable calls from the officials, including a goal by Marquinhos that was ruled offside by the video assistant referee in the 30th minute.
It was an uneventful start for Brazil at LA’s SoFi Stadium, as they called on 17-year-old Andrique to replace Vinicius Junior in the 71st minute in an attempt to find a spark.
athleticJack Lang, Stuart James and Thom Harris share their takeaways from the match…
Is deep defense the way to stop Brazil?
For all their dominance of possession, it was telling that Brazil’s two most promising attacking positions came after Costa Rica’s rare attacks in the first half. In an ideal world, the Seleção would like to play like this: on the counter-attack, utilizing Vinicius Junior’s directness, as well as Lucas Paqueta’s ability to take passes. In March they played in a similar manner against England and Spain, giving Dorival Jr. an excellent start to his career as coach.
The point is that most sides will not attack Brazil with numerical strength and conviction. As a result, pitches become smaller, players are crowded together, speed becomes a non-factor. It’s all very well having time to work on passing patterns if you’re at Manchester City. It’s much more difficult at international level, and it becomes doubly difficult when your coach has only been in charge for four games.
Brazil could have done the same with record goalscorer Neymar (centre) watching from the stands. (Buda Mendes/Getty Images)
Brazil has players who are capable of breaking the lock. Paqueta is talented in tight spaces, and Rodrigo is not far behind. However, it is often a question of patience, which is never in abundance when it comes to the Seleção. The longer the game remained goalless, the quieter the crowd became and the tension on the field increased.
If you were generous, you could say Brazil created enough openings to win the game twice. But they were mainly half-chances and they will know that after such an unexpected result the other teams in the group will prepare in the same way.
Could Brazil be feeling aggrieved by the referee?
Brazilian players arguing with the referee at Sofi Stadium. (Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
When you encounter this kind of defensive barrier, frustrations can run rampant; Brazil made 48 touches in the box in 90 minutes, while their rivals Costa Rica maintained the pressure and could only make two.
As time went on and the competition became tougher, things started getting tough. Mexican referee Cesar Ramos let off several major challenges, including an awkward collision between full-backs Hexgel Quiros and Vinicius Junior midway through the first half, the defender charging at a difficult winger and making strong contact in the penalty area. With incredible teammates, it created an atmosphere of intense competition.
A disallowed goal did little to improve the Brazilian mood; A marginal offside and a lengthy VAR review kept the increasingly agitated group waiting, while a penalty claim at the end of the first half caused outrage among most of the team, protesting with the referee for almost two minutes before the resulting corner was taken. . In all honesty, it felt as if Juan Pablo Vargas’ arm was resting safely at her side.
On another day, Rodrigo scored a penalty in the first half and Brazil cruised to a routine victory. But Dorival Junior’s side have another hurdle to overcome on an even hotter day against Paraguay on Friday; They have to control their emotions.
What can Costa Rica learn from this outcome?
After achieving the draw, Costa Rica players sat on their knees on the field. (Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
Beautiful? No. effective? damn right.
For Costa Rica’s highly experienced coach Gustavo Alfaro, it was one of those rare nights when everything went as planned. Certainly, Costa Rica had their luck at times – Brazil had a brilliant performance, missing several chances and they will be unhappy not to have had a penalty in the first half. But Alfaro’s team played with courage and spirit, protecting their lives and showing incredible dependability.
Juan Pablo Vargas skillfully marshaled a three-man central defense that came under siege, and behind him Patrick Sequeira made some important saves, including one from his own player: Hexzel Quirós saved the ball with his header at the far post. After this he showed the expression of a person feeling extremely relieved. Dispelled late. Who needs Keylor Navas, eh?
It was a remarkable result under the circumstances, bearing in mind that there were already real concerns whether Costa Rica would be blown away by Brazil. After all, this is a team that has leaked goals at an alarming rate over the past year. Panama put them ahead by three twice, and the United Arab Emirates and Martinique both scored four. Brazil? Zero.
What did the managers say?
Costa Rica coach Gustavo Alfaro: “I think the defenders and the midfield did a good job to limit the chances that Brazil had… We were Bruce Willis in The Sixth Sense. Everyone thought before the movie started That we are dead.”
Brazil head coach Dorival Junior: “Today we did not achieve the expected result. He was very clear about his game plan. Even with all the substitutions and options we used, they were heavy on the marking – there was double marking everywhere on the pitch. We created many chances. We may not have been at our best with our finishing, but Brazil played as they were trained, recovering balls with great consistency. But we missed that important detail.
What’s next for each team?
paraguay vs brazil – Friday, June 28 at 9:00 pm ET/Saturday, June 29 at 2:00 am UK (Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas, NV)
colombia vs costa rica – Friday, June 28 at 6:00 pm ET/11:00 pm UK (State Farm Stadium, Glendale, AZ)
essential reading
(Top photo: Patrick T. Fallon/AFP via Getty Images)
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