2 days Ago
Brazil faces Paraguay in its Copa America Group D match in Las Vegas on Friday after a disappointing goalless draw against lowly Costa Rica in its opener left the five-time World Cup winner questioning how to sharpen its cutting edge. A wasteful Brazil side dominated possession but was clueless on how to beat an ultra-defensive Costa Rica playing with a back five. It roamed around its opponent’s box but was toothless, with just three of its 19 shots on target.
Paraguay, which lost 2-1 to Colombia in its first game, is expected to use a similar defensive game plan to Costa Rica. That will pose another challenge for Brazil’s 62-year-old manager Dorival Jr who will have to find answers on how his side can break deadlocks and be more precise in front of goal. Attacking midfielder Lucas Paqueta, one of Brazil’s most active players against Costa Rica with five shots that missed the target and one that hit the post, believed their problem was more mental than tactical.
He thought Brazil need patience. “We had lots and lots of chances, I had three in particular that I should have done better (with), we just needed to finish with a bit more composure,” Paqueta told a press conference on Wednesday. “It’s clear that finishing from outside the area against teams who close down and defend deep is something that we can improve, but we are still very confident that we will.
” Missing talisman Neymar, who is still recovering from a serious knee injury, there was a general impr.
