Thanks to superstar Neymar, Brazil got off to an optimal start in the domestic Copa America in a 3-0 (1-0) win against Venezuela. In the duel of the Selecao, which was the only team to speak out against hosting the South American Championship in the pandemic epicenter on the Sugar Loaf, against the Vinotintos, the Paris St. Germain striker was involved in all three goals.
Test DAZN for free and experience sports highlights live & on demand | DISPLAY
In Venezuela, eight players tested positive for COVID-19 immediately before the start of the tournament. While Neymar with his converted penalty is now only ten goals away from Pele’s record, who scored 77 times in official internationals, Colombia also got off to a good start in Group B with a 1-0 (1-0) against Ecuador.
Messi is worried
The second group of five with Argentina as the favorite will start the tournament on Monday. Four teams each qualify for the quarter-finals. However, the headlines still belonged to the coronavirus. In addition to Venezuela, Bolivia (three players, one supervisor) and Colombia (two supervisors) reported positive corona cases over the weekend.
“That worries us,” said Argentina’s superstar Lionel Messi, adding: “We will do everything we can to ensure that it does not happen to us, but it doesn’t just depend on us.” At the sporty Copa opener in Brasilia, as prescribed for the tournament without spectators in the stadium, Neymar chased records.
After his corner and confusion in Venezuela’s penalty area, PSG colleague Marquinhos (24th) marked the lead, before Neymar safely converted a penalty in the 64th minute and then put on the 3-0 through Gabriel Barbosa (89th). With 46 assists in 106 internationals, he was involved in 113 Selecao goals.
In Cuiaba, Edwin Cardona (42nd) avenged the cafeteros with a goal after a VAR decision, which had lost a good seven months ago in the Eliminatorias in Ecuador at 1: 6. The group continues on Thursday with Colombia against Venezuela and the new edition of the last Copa America final, when Brazil got the upper hand 3-1 against Peru in the Maracana two years ago.
–
