Brazil eke out win against Colombia in Copa America
24 June, 2021
Brazil continued their winning romp through the Copa America Wednesday, eking out a controversial 2-1 victory against Colombia after struggling almost all of the match to answer an impressive bicycle-kick goal by Luis Diaz.
The 11th-hour win gave the "Selecao" a perfect nine points from three matches in the South American championships, and extended their current winning streak to 11 matches.
However, the victory was steeped in controversy: Brazil's second-half equalizer, a Roberto Firmino header, was preceded by a Neymar pass that glanced off Argentine referee Nestor Pitana.
Colombia heatedly argued afterward that play must have been stopped, but Pitana ruled neither side was hindered and allowed the match to continue.
Disgruntled Colombia fans on social media turned the referee's name right into a viral hashtag, joking he previously played as "Brazil's 12th man."
The resentment only grew when an unmarked Casemiro headed in the winner deep into stoppage time.
However, Colombia, who are second in Group B with four points from four matches, still secured a spot in the quarter-finals.
- 'Sad' call -
Porto winger Diaz opened the scoring in Rio de Janeiro in the 10th minute, when Juan Cuadrado lobbed an arcing cross from just beyond your penalty area.
Diaz executed a magnificent bicycle kick to rifle the ball past Brazil keeper Weverton.
It was accurately the sort of play Brazil, which prides itself on beautiful football, has struggled to conjure recently, and even the house announcers hailed it as a "golaco."
Colombia looked content to play defense from then on, and Brazil dominated possession -- but struggled to create opportunities.
Then, in the 78th minute, Firmino finally found the equalizer with an authoritative header that sped past Colombian keeper David Ospina.
Colombia immediately erupted into protest, arguing Pitana's contact with the ball seconds earlier must have stopped play.
But Pitana, who refereed the 2018 World Cup final, ruled the target valid after checking the video.
"It's sad that with all the current effort we made against among the finest teams on earth, we lost the match on a call like this," said Juventus striker Cuadrado.
"A referee with that much international experience, who's refereed at the World Cup, makes a blunder and hurts the match. We never got past that play."
Insult was put into injury ten minutes into stoppage time, when Casemiro headed a Neymar corner past a distracted Colombia defense to provide Brazil the win.
- Ecuador, Peru draw -
In the early match, Ecuador and Peru didn't settle who advances to the quarter-finals, drawing 2-2 in Goiania.
Ecuador took the first lead from an own goal, the ball moving in off the foot of Peru's Renato Tapia in a jostle before the goal in the 23rd minute.
Ayrton Preciado scored in stoppage time to close the first half with Ecuador ahead of Peru 2-0.
Peru's Gianluca Lapadula answered in the 49th minute off a pass from Christian Cueva and Andre Carillo netted the equalizer in the 54th minute.
Ecuador had enter into the match with only 1 point, earned in a draw with Venezuela, while Peru had three. Each earned another point, putting Peru in joint second place with Colombia.
Brazil will have nine points and Ecuador and Venezuela two each.
Brazil were already to the quarter-finals before Wednesday's matches, and so are now joined by Colombia.
The rest of the group's fate will be decided Sunday, when Brazil face Ecuador and Peru play Venezuela.
The most notable four of five teams in each of two groups advance to the quarter-finals.
However the action on the pitch is still overshadowed in Brazil by the controversial decision to host the Copa America at all, given that the united states has registered more than half a million deaths in the coronavirus pandemic, second and then the United States.
The matches, played in empty stadiums, have produced less buzz than the 41 Covid-19 infections detected among players, coaches and tournament providers.
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