Ecuador (ECU) confirmed a place in the quarter-finals of the 47th edition of Copa America. They drew 1-1 with Brazil (BRA) to seal their place in the knockout stages. Meanwhile, a slender one-goal win over Venezuela (VEN) helped Peru (PER) finish second in Group B.
Here’s a recap of the action from Copa America matchday 9.
BRA vs ECU
Angel Mena canceled out Eder Militao’s goal in the Group B clash between Brazil and Ecuador. Both goals came from a set-piece as Militao headed home from a free-kick, and Enner Valencia turned provider for substitute Mena early in the second half. Brazil could face either Chile or Uruguay in the quarter-finals, and Ecuador will run into Group A table-topper in the last eight.
Brazil rested the likes of Neymar, Gabriel Jesus, Alex Sandro, Thiago Silva, etc., for the final group stage fixture. Valencia created the first chance after he tried to chip the goalkeeper from near the halfway line. The 31-year-old saw Alisson off his line, and his audacious attempt went just over the crossbar. At the other end, Ecuador goalkeeper Hernan Galindez made a fine save to deny Gabriel Barbosa.
Militao scored his maiden international goal to give Brazil the lead in the 37th minute. The defender leaped high and headed home Everton Soares’ free-kick. Colombia was desperate for a point and found the equalizer within the opening ten minutes after the break. The Brazil backline cleared a corner away from danger, but the ball somehow fell to Valencia. He headed it towards Mena, and the winger hammered the ball past a helpless Alisson. Colombia seemed happy with a point and ensured the match ended in a stalemate.
Goalscorers: BRA – E Militao; ECU – A Mena
Assists: BRA – E Soares; ECU – E Valencia
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers: E Militao (15 pts), A Mena (13 pts), E Soares (8 pts), E Valencia (7 pts), Fabinho (6 pts)
VEN vs PER
Andre Carrillo’s second-half goal made the difference in a crucial Group B fixture. Venezuela needed a win to qualify to the last eight, while Peru required only a point. Both teams lacked firepower as the match witnessed only one goal despite 22 attempts. Peru will face the third-placed team from Group A in the quarter-finals, while Venezuela suffered elimination after picking up only two points from four matches.
Peru could have gone ahead through Yoshimar Yotun as early as in the 13th minute. Gianluca Lapadula missed right-back Aldo Corzo’s excellent pass, and the ball rolled into the path of Yotun, who blazed it over the bar from around 15 yards. Peru goalkeeper Pedro Gallese gifted Venezuela a great opportunity as he fumbled Jefferson Savarino’s long-range attempt. The rebound fell perfectly for Sergio Cordova, but his tame header went wide of the goal.
With just three minutes into the second half, Peru broke the deadlock. Carrillo pounced on a loose clearance by the Venezuelan defence and slammed the ball home from six yards. It was the Al-Hilal forward’s second goal of the tournament. Peru continued to dictate the possession but couldn’t find a second goal. Venezuela struggled to replicate their first-half performance and had to settle for a defeat to finish bottom of Group B.
Goalscorers: VEN – none; PER – A Carrillo
Assists: VEN – none; PER – none
Top Five Fantasy Points scorers: A Carrillo (15.5 pts), A Corzo (10 pts), M Araujo (10 pts), P Gallese (9.5 pts), M Trauco (9.5 pts)
Parameswaran Sankaranarayanan
Parameswaran Sankaranarayan is a sports enthusiast who has worked in print, website, and other digital platforms. He was part of the editorial team of first-ever Indian football-based website - IndianFootball.com (now defunct) - and passionately follows the latest happenings in world football. During his time as a journalist, he had the opportunity to interact with some of the iconic personalities in Indian sports and witness some memorable moments in Indian football.
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