Surely Copa America Lightning Can’t Strike Twice?

Brazil vs Peru

The thing with Brazil is that, in footballing terms, they are nearly always expected to not just win, but also entertain.

Of course, to achieve one is difficult enough, to manage both on a consistent basis often impossible.

Yet as hosts of the Copa America, the pressure on the Selecao is even more intense than usual; the pain only now just about bearable after the way their last major competition on home soil ended.

The night football was like a blood sport.

Rewind to little under 12 months ago and this SBOBET writer witnessed a World Cup classic which also ended in Brazilian despair.

The recent frustrations felt by many fans towards their heroes would partly explain why last week’s opener in this tournament, between Brazil and Bolivia, only sold just over 46,000 tickets of a 67,000-capacity Morumbi stadium in São Paulo.

Other factors are at play.

Brazil are under pressure as their fans expect to see a great performance against Peru in Copa America — Brazil fans were disappointed after a 1-1 draw against Venezuela

Brazil was once a source of pride on the global stage, but it is now laden with stars who leave Brazil at such a young age that Brasileiro Série A supporters are unable to develop an affinity for them.

On top of that, most of Brazil’s fixtures, apart from World Cup qualifiers, are played in other continents. Since their exit from the World Cup last summer Brazil have played two friendlies in the United States, two in Saudi Arabia, two in England, one in Portugal and one in the Czech Republic. Local fans are rarely considered.

Perhaps after hosting the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics, Brazilians are finding it hard to lift themselves.

The team now needs to produce some genuine Copa America highlights if they are to avoid the ignominy of an exit at the group stage and get more locals behind them.

Talking Points

Of course, the fact Brazil are not already through to the quarter-finals is not because the side has played particularly badly, more that luck was not with them last time out against Venezuela, despite putting the ball in the net not once, not twice, but three times.

This tournament may have been been spared the histrionics of Neymar at least but the drama that goes with Brazil clearly continues.

Games like that merely add to the pressure.

Before 2007, Brazil had never gone two Copa America tournaments in succession, failing to finish at least fourth or higher. They’ve now failed to progress past the quarter-finals in the past three tournaments and were knocked out in the group stage three years ago – by Peru.

Coach Tite was appointed following that dismal result, the first time since 1987 that the Selecao had failed to advance past the first round. If he fails to guide his side to, at the bare minimum, the latter stages this time, he will likely be fired with immediate effect also.

So, the pressure on Brazil to win and win well is as strong as ever.

The eight-time champions must reclaim their place on South America’s throne, or at least make it to the Rio de Janeiro decider. Failure to defeat lowly Peru is simply not an option.

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2019 Copa America

History

That this is a one-sided record is no surprise given the history and footballing pedigree of two nations at very different ends of the scale.

Brazil have won 31 and lost only four of their 44 meetings with the other nine meetings ending all square.

Peru registered one of their few famous victories the last time they met in the competition, however.

Three years ago, a 75^th minute goal from Raul Ruidiaz sent Peruvians into dreamland and their nation into the quarter-finals.

The historic victory knocked Brazil out and was highly controversial, scored – as it was – by the hand of Ruidiaz.

It was their first victory over Brazil in 31 years.

The previous success had come in a 1985 friendly and, before that, in this competition in 1953 and 1975.

When they met in November 2016, five months after the famous victory which ultimately led to coach Dunga losing his job, Tite had been appointed and oversaw a 2-0 victory in Lima in World Cup qualifying.

Gabriel Jesus and Renato Augusto were the scorers on that occasion.