Vinícius Junior netted two goals in the first half to propel Brazil to a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night, positioning themselves well to advance from Group D in the Copa America. Savinho added another goal in the first half, while Lucas Paqueta converted a penalty kick in the second half. Paraguay’s lone goal came from Omar Alderete. The match saw several heated moments, including five yellow cards and a red card shown to Andres Cubas in the 81st minute, leaving Paraguay to finish the game with ten men. Yellow cards were also issued to Brazil’s Wendell, Junior, and Paqueta, as well as Paraguay’s Fabian Balbuena and Hernesto Caballero.
The win was a strong response from the SeleçãoCanarinho, who started their tournament with a goalless draw against Costa Rica despite dominating with 18 shots compared to their opponent’s 2. With four points, Brazil sits two points behind group leaders Colombia, who defeated Costa Rica 3-0 earlier on Friday. A win or draw against Colombia in their upcoming match ensures Brazil a spot in the knockout stage. Additionally, Brazil holds a significant six-goal differential advantage over Costa Rica, making elimination unlikely even in the event of a loss.
Historically, Brazil has faced challenges against Paraguay in Copa America, with their previous five encounters ending in draws, a streak that was among the tournament’s longest unbeaten stretches against Brazil, also involving Paraguay from 1963 to 1983. However, Brazil convincingly won their last meeting 4-0 two years ago in World Cup qualifying, and their recent encounter left little doubt about the outcome after two late goals secured a decisive lead before halftime.
In the second half, Alderete narrowed the deficit to 3-1 early on, but Paqueta restored Brazil’s three-goal advantage 17 minutes later with a successful penalty kick, redeeming himself after a missed attempt in the first half. Brazil coach Dorival Júnior’s decision to omit Raphinha from the starting lineup, despite Neymar’s presence in the stands, proved effective, as Savinho delivered a standout performance and Raphinha made a significant impact as a substitute in the 72nd minute.
Meanwhile, in another match, Colombia secured their place in the Copa America quarterfinals with a 3-0 victory over Costa Rica, highlighted by goals from Davinson Sánchez and Jhon Córdoba scored within three minutes of each other in the second half.
