Dorival Junior will get things right despite Brazil's underwhelming start to the Copa America, believes left-back Guilherme Arana, as the Selecao prepare to face Paraguay. (More Football News)
Brazil were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Costa Rica in their opening Group D match o🌺n Monday, losing ground on Colombia, who started with a win over Paraguay.
While Dorival praised aspects of his team's performance in that match, he acknowledge🤡d more will be needed in the final third if the Selecao are to challenge for a 10th South American crown.
Atletico Mineiro full-back Arana, who🅺 played the full 90 minutes last time out, praised Dorival's approach as he opened up on the coach's reaction to the result.
"As soon as we entered the dressing room, he praised our pressing after we lost the ball, it was very g෴ood, we didn't concede anyt💮hing defensively," Arana said.
"He encouraged us, gave us morale. I think that's the thought not only of⛦ him but of all the players.
"The result of the debut was bad, but꧑ we still have two games to go. In ♛other words, two great opportunities. That's the thinking.
"Of course it's a n🦩ew job, Dorival arrived recently, the pl𝓰ayers are new too, but we're focused together with him.
"Dorival knows what he's doing, he's an excellent coach and he's g🐈oing to help us a lot."
Paraguay were beaten 2-1 by Colombia in their opener, leaving them🍒 likely needing to cau🔴se an upset to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.
Head coach Dani▨el Garnero believes there were plenty of positives to take from that match, saying: "We have a clear idea of our gameplan and the feeling is that we competed at all times.
"I think it was an even game🎉, we did not manage to bring home the points but we tried to match our opponents.
"With Argentina [and Colom🐎bia],🦩 these were the two teams that arrived at the Copa with great superiority.
"There were many positive elementsꩲ and when we take stock of this match we'll see this."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Paraguay – Julio Enciso
Enciso attempted 11 dribbওles against Colombia in Paraguay's Copa America opener, the joint-most of any player in the opening round of fixtures at the tournament (tied with Richard Ríos of Colombia).
The Brighton and Hove Albion player completed six of them, tꦰhe second-highest figure in ✅the first round, behind Rios' eight.
By netting his nation's consolation goal, he became the second-youngest player to score for Paraguay at a major tournament this century (20 years, 153 days), after Ernesto Cristaldo versus Chiꦦle at the 2004 Copa America (20 years, 117 days).
Brazil – Vinicius Junior
Brazil failed to make t🦄heir superiority count against Costa Rica, making more passes (695) than any other team across the first ma🥂tchday of the competition, but only registered three shots on target from the 19 they attempted.
Vinicius was withdrawn for future Real Madrid team-mate Endrick 71 minutes in afte꧅r failing to register a single shot, though he did create a game-high three chances.
He has been substituted in each of the Selecao's last six competiti⛦ve matches, versus Costa Rica and in three World Cup qualifiers last year, as well as their last two fixtures at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
After scoring 24 goals and adding nine assists for Los Bꦗlancos last season, Vinicius will be expecting to produce a better di𒐪splay on Friday.
MATCH PREDICTION: BRAZIL WIN
Brazil recorded 49 entries into C🦋osta Rica's penalty area on matchday one, their joint-highest figure in a Copa America match since such data began being recorded in 2011 (also versus Paraguay in 2019).
More penetr🦹ation – and better finishing – will be requir꧑ed next time out.
Paragཧuay have not lost any of their last five matches against Brazil at the Copa America, recor🌊ding one win and four draws.
This equals the second-longest unbeaten streak against Brazil in the history of the tournament, behind Argentina's eight-match run between 1923🎃 and 1946 (seven wins, one draw), tied with Paraguay's own streak between 1963 and 1983 (two wins, three draws).
However, Paraguay have only won one of their last six games in all competitions (two draws, t﷽hree defeats), so Dorvial's team go into the match as strong favourites.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Paraguay – 13.4%
Brazil – 69.6%
Draw – 17%
