Brazil
Copa America: Ecuador ends Brazil’s winning run, qualify for quarterfinals
Brazil’s ten-game winning run came to an end after Ecuador earned a 1-1 draw in the final Copa America group game in Goiania. Coach Tite made ten changes from the midweek win over Colombia as Neymar, Casemiro, Thiago Silva and Richarlison were rested. The reigning champions had already booked their spot in the next round as group winners and Venezuela’s defeat to Peru, means Ecuador join Brazil in the final eight. And it was nearly the perfect start for Brazil as Renan Lodi broke clear down the left and looked to be bundled over inside the box within the opening minute. The referee and VAR disagreed. Brighton’s Moises Caicedo was then stretchered off on 17 minutes with a knee injury in a blow to Ecuador, with Angel Mena coming on. Then Ecuador skipper Enner Valencia came close to scoring t...
Brazil vs Ecuador – Copa America 2021 Preview, Head To Head, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
Brazil and Ecuador will trade tackles at the Estadio Olimpico Pedro Ludovico on Sunday in the final round of the Copa America 2021 Group B fixtures. The Brazilians have already nailed down the top place in Group B as they continue to build momentum ahead of the knock-out stages. Meanwhile, the Ecuadorians could miss out on the tournament’s quarter-finals for the second time in a row if they fail to secure a positive result here. Brazil Preview Brazil staged a stunning second-half comeback to beat Colombia 2-1 last time out and maintain their perfect start to Copa America 2021. Even though they have already sealed a top place in Group B, the Selecao won’t be lacking motivation against Ecuador as they look to conclude a group stage at Copa America with a 100% record. Brazil’s attacking set-u...
Nigerian government says no immediate plan to ban cylinder imports
The Federal Government says it had no immediate plan to ban the importation of gas cylinders as part of its LPG expansion and implementation plan. Mr Dayo Adesina, Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Gas in the office of the Vice-President, made the disclosure in an interview with newsmen on Sunday in Abuja. He said that the government was working on first building local capacities before contemplating a ban. According to Adesina, who is also the Programme Manager of the National LPG Expansion and Implementation, Nigeria still has a lot of cylinder deficits to fill in meeting the LPG expansion plan. He explained that the plan was to get LPG to the remotest of villages and discourage use of firewood and other fuels that are inimical to the environment. Adesina said that of the nation’s ove...
‘Rashford is nowhere near him’ – Some fans react to Liverpool man’s latest ‘masterclass’ display
Brazil left it late to secure a 2-1 victory against Colombia in the Copa America on Wednesday. The Selecao went behind for the first time in eight games, but goals from Roberto Firmino and Casemiro earned them an important victory. Brazil had won their previous nine games, all but one without conceding a goal. However, Colombia took the lead in the first half through a wonder strike from Luiz Diaz. Juan Cuadrado produced a brilliant cross from which Diaz scored with an acrobatic overhead kick. In the second half, Brazil pushed hard for an equaliser and nearly got it through Neymar, who could only hit the bar after being put through by Firmino. The Liverpool striker finally got the equalising goal with a header after meeting a cross from the left. It came from a controversial circumstance a...
Late goal gives Brazil controversial win over Colombia in Copa America
Brazil continued their winning romp through the Copa America on Wednesday, eking out a controversial 2-1 victory against Colombia after struggling most of the match to answer a magnificent bicycle-kick goal by Luis Diaz. The 11th-hour win gave the “Selecao” a perfect nine points from three matches in the South American championships, and extended their current winning streak to 11 matches. However, the victory was steeped in controversy: Brazil’s second-half equalizer, a Roberto Firmino header, was preceded by a Neymar pass that glanced off Argentine referee Nestor Pitana. Colombia heatedly argued afterward that play should have been stopped, but Pitana ruled neither side was hindered and allowed the match to continue. Disgruntled Colombia fans on social media turned the referee’s name int...
Brazil vs Colombia – Copa America 2021 Preview, Head To Head, Players to Watch & Predicted Line-ups
Brazil’s imperious Copa America 2021 charge continues on Thursday as they take on out-of-sorts Colombia at the Estadio Olimpico Nilton Santos. Saying the Brazilians have impressed at the tournament would be an understatement, given their +7 goal difference from their opening two Group B matches are off the charts. Meanwhile, Colombia will surpass Brazil in the standings with a win here despite enduring a torrid Copa America 2021 campaign so far. Brazil Preview Reigning Copa America champions Brazil have become the first nation to qualify for the 2021 knock-out stages following a perfect start to their Group B campaign. After dismantling Covid-hit Venezuela 3-0 in their Copa America 2021 opener, the Brazilians put four unanswered goals past Peru to claim a place in the quarter-finals. Despi...
Copa America: Lionel Messi equals record as Argentina progress
Lionel Messi earned a record-equalling 147th cap for Argentina as they progressed to the Copa America quarter-finals with victory over Paraguay. Papu Gomez scored the decisive goal early on, meeting a pass from Angel Di Maria before producing a fine finish. Messi, 34, equalled Javier Mascherano’s appearance record for the national team in the hard-fought win in Brasilia. Argentina top Group A ahead of Chile, who drew 1-1 with Uruguay to also advance to the knockout stage. The hastily-rearranged tournament in Brazil, which was moved from Argentina just two weeks before it was scheduled to start because of a surge in Covid-19 cases in the country, is Messi’s latest chance to win silverware with the senior team. The six-time Ballon d’Or winner was typically influential, playing a part in the ...
Brazilian president fined for not wearing mask
Brazilian President, Jair Bolsonaro, has been fined for not wearing a mask as he joined thousands of motorcyclists at a rally in Sao Paulo. Bolsonaro waved from his bike to the cheering crowd as he used the occasion to insist masks were useless for vaccinated people. The rally snaked in and out of the city, arriving back at Ibirapuera Park, where the far-right leader addressed supporters and said mask-wearing for vaccinated people was pointless. However, President Bolsonaro’s claim has been disputed by most health experts. “Whoever is against this proposal is because they don’t believe in science, because if they are vaccinated, there is no way the virus can be transmitted,” said Bolsonaro. Under 12% of Brazilians have had both doses of a vaccine, the ministry of health says, and many expe...
Liverpool and Everton stars set for Copa America opener, PSG forward tipped to shine
The 47th Copa America gets underway on Sunday night as nine-time winners and reigning title-holders Brazil take on Venezuela at the Estadio Nacional de Brasilia. Brazil enter the tournament as the leading candidates to lift the crown, with Tite boasting a star-studded roster, including the likes of Alisson Becker, Marquinhos, Casemiro, Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus, Roberto Firmino and Neymar. Meanwhile, Venezuela’s best-ever result at the final tournament was a fourth-place finish in the 2011 edition. Brazil Preview Brazil are looking to translate their impressive form from the 2020 World Cup qualifying campaign into Copa America as they hope to defend the title as they did in 2004 and 2007. The Selecao won each of their opening six games in the World Cup qualifying series by an aggregate sc...
‘We are not satisfied’ – Liverpool star sends strong message ahead amid backlash from teammates
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker has confirmed that Brazil players will take part in the upcoming Copa America tournament. Brazil players staged a mutiny and reportedly expressed their frustration after the tournament was moved in the middle of the pandemic. The popular international tournament was supposed to be hosted by Colombia and Argentina. However, both were removed as co-hosts following street protests and a rise in coronavirus cases. Brazil were given the duty to host the tournament by CONMEBOL at the last minute after a bid from the United States was rejected. Everyone at the Brazil camp, including coach Tite, felt that felt the tournament should not go ahead in Brazil with the country facing an outbreak of the virus. Brazil is one of the worst affected pa...
Real Madrid star leads the mutiny as several Brazil players ready to boycott Copa America
The 2021 Copa America is under threat after it was reported that several Brazilian players were contemplating boycotting the tournament. According to reports from Spanish publication AS, several players from the Brazil camp are ready to walk out after the country was announced as hosts amid a surge in COVID-19 cases. The popular international tournament was supposed to be hosted by Colombia and Argentina. However, both were removed as co-hosts following street protests and a rise in coronavirus cases. Brazil were given the duty to host the tournament by CONMEBOL at the last minute after a bid from the United States was rejected. Brazil is one of the worst affected pandemic-hit countries in the world, with the death toll in the nation is over 470,000. The New York Times reports th...
Copa America 2021 squads: A complete list of all 10 Copa America squads
You will find all Copa America 2021 squads below. Copa America 2021 kicks off on Sunday, June 13, 2021, with the final taking place on Saturday, July 10, 2021. Ten teams will be taking part in the tournament, with each team allowed 23 players by CONMEBOL for this year. Although the two AFC representatives Australia and Qatar were due to play as the guest nations, the calendar schedule forced the countries to withdraw from the competition. Suggested Article: Copa America 2021: Schedule, Odds & Live Streaming Copa America 2021 Groups & Teams Group A (South Zone): Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, Uruguay. Group B (North Zone): Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela. Here are all the latest Copa America 2021 squads, as announced by each national team: Argentina C...
