Brazil coach Dorival Júnior hailed the show of Vinícius Júnior after the ahead scored twice to assist the Seleção get again on observe on the Copa América with a 4-1 win over Paraguay in Las Vegas Friday.
Brazil and Vinícius struggled within the group’s opening sport of the competitors, a 0-0 draw with Costa Rica Monday, by which the Actual Madrid star didn’t have a shot at aim and was substituted halfway by the second half.
However he was switched on from the beginning in opposition to Paraguay, placing Brazil forward after 35 minutes with a low end after an help from Lucas Paquetá. After Sávio had made it 2-0, Vinícius gave Brazil a 3rd aim earlier than half-time when he closed down Paraguay defender Omar Alderete and diverted his tried clearance into the online.
Vinícius may have had a hat-trick however as a substitute took a backseat, permitting Paqueta, who had missed from the spot within the first half, to step up and rating a second-half penalty.
“As we speak, he performed nearly an ideal match,” Brazil coach Dorival mentioned of Vinícius by an interpreter. “He was dynamic.”
The targets had been Vinícius’ first non-penalty targets for Brazil since scoring in opposition to South Korea on the 2022 World Cup and his first multi-goal sport in what was his thirty second look.
“I all the time say that I by no means play for myself, I’ll all the time play for my group,” Vinícius mentioned in an on-field interview following the sport. “Once I’m taking part in for Brazil I play for my nation, I all the time attempt to do the most effective issues but it surely’s not all the time doable.
“And at this time I managed to play an incredible sport on the degree of a participant that I’m. And I do know that I can nonetheless enhance lots to assist the Brazilian group, to assist this group that works onerous every single day to have the ability to put Brazil within the place it deserves. We are going to proceed to work onerous to attain this aim, which is to win the Copa América.”
The victory was fairly the response from Brazil after its disappointing starting to the match in the USA and put the nine-time winners on the verge of a spot within the quarterfinals.
With 4 factors, Brazil is 2 behind group chief Colombia, which defeated Costa Rica 3-0 earlier Friday. A victory or tie by Brazil in opposition to Colombia on Tuesday ensures one of many group’s two spots within the knockout stage. Brazil additionally has a six-goal differential benefit over Costa Rica, so a loss probably will not maintain out the nine-time Copa América champions.
“There was a sure degree of disappointment for the shortage of ends in the primary match,” Dorival mentioned. “However I feel our efficiency was of an incredible degree. We have made nice progress in little or no time. We nearly by no means have 20 days to work collectively.
“I advised you be affected person as a result of this group is trending on the best path.”
Data from Reuters, The Related Press and ESPN Stats & Data contributed to this report