Vinícius Junior scored two first-half goals to lead Brazil to a 4-1 victory over Paraguay on Friday night (June 28), putting them in a strong position to advance out of Group D in the Copa America 2024. Savinho also scored a first-half goal for Brazil, and Lucas Paqueta added a penalty kick in the second half. Omar Alderete scored Paraguay’s lone goal.
The match saw plenty of tense moments, with five yellow cards and one red card handed out. Andres Cubas was sent off with a red card in the 81st minute, forcing Paraguay to play the final minutes with ten men. Yellow cards were given to Brazil’s Wendell, Vinícius Junior, and Paqueta, and to Paraguay’s Fabian Balbuena and Hernesto Caballero.
The victory was a strong response for the Seleção Canarinho, who had opened the tournament on Tuesday with a scoreless draw against Costa Rica despite outshooting their opponents 18-2.
Brazil vs Paraguay Match Highlights
With four points, Brazil is two points behind group leader Colombia, which defeated Costa Rica 3-0 earlier on Friday. A victory or tie for Brazil against Colombia on Tuesday would ensure one of the group’s two spots in the knockout stage. Brazil also has a six-goal differential advantage over Costa Rica, so a loss is unlikely to prevent the nine-time Copa America champions from advancing.