It was Endrick who would tackle the quantity 9 spot for Brazil of their important match towards Uruguay. Endrick, merely a teen, with all of the innocence on this planet, would take the stage on one of many greatest levels on this planet. Endrick, the precocious wunderkind desired by each membership earlier than he sealed a transfer to Actual, the weak but iconic striker, the unproven but profitable attacker, would see his first main check on the worldwide stage. It was Endrick, sure that 17-year-old Endrick, who would tackle the vacant slot at striker.
His first begin within the Brazil jersey comes at a pivotal crossroads for the Selecao. They confronted one of many strongest groups in the complete event in Uruguay, a squad that swept apart the USA within the group stage together with wins over Panama and Bolivia. Brazil’s core, quickly ageing and going through questions on its legitimacy, desperately wanted a win to battle off these doubts.
They must win with out Vinicius, who would miss their knockout spherical by way of a yellow card suspension, and Neymar, who injured his knee in March. Supervisor Dorival Junior moved Rodrygo to the left wing and plugged Endrick in at striker. Endrick, who had performed 34 minutes in Brazil’s first three Copa matches, would lastly earn his long-awaited begin.
Uruguay takes management early towards Brazil
Uruguay’s talisman, Ronald Araujo, was the primary to do one thing of be aware within the sport. After Federico Valverde put in a tough deal with on Endrick, grounding him, a small scuffle ensued. Araujo stepped in, shoving Endrick from the again. It meant greater than a easy disagreement — Endrick met the gatekeeper to his standing as an elite attacker, a peek into his upcoming season at LaLiga.
Though Endrick threw his arms, hopped again up, and stared Araujo down, it was Raphinha who stepped in, shoving Araujo again. The transient however intense battle damaged up by the referee would set the tone for the sport.
The primary huge blow wasn’t a objective on both facet — it was the damage for Uruguay’s centerpiece Araujo. Araujo planted his proper foot too exhausting making an attempt to dam Guilherme Arana’s cross, and fell gripping his hamstring. He left the sphere limping and overlaying his face, whereas Atletico Madrid defender José Giménez changed him. Araujo will possible miss the remainder of the event.
Brazil’s match towards Uruguay was a match outlined by transition. Brazil held the overwhelming majority of the possession, however Uruguay nonetheless scampered off to create alternatives on quick breaks. Both sides’s finest probabilities didn’t come from tactical build-up — it got here from the flowing, instinctual counter-attacks that allowed Uruguay to seek out the area.
With the rating nonetheless degree, Darwin Nunez almost scored the opener after he shook previous Eder Militao and linked with a pinpoint Nahitan Nández cross. However, the Liverpool striker mistimed his bounce, with the ball assembly his shoulder and spiraling over the online.
Raphinha went down the opposite finish instantly. Paqueta flicked on a deep Allison move to a sprinting Raphinha, who deftly managed the move with a contact to burst previous Matias Vina. Raphinha appeared set for a one-on-one after he outpaced the remainder of the Uruguay defenders, however Sergio Rochet simply batted the shot away.
Nandez purple card opens sport up
One of many extra pivotal moments of the match got here within the 72nd minute. With Rodrygo operating rampant previous a disjointed Uruguay protection trying to play a ball to Endrick, Nandez made a harmful, studs-up deal with. The left-back missed the ball completely, as a substitute slamming into Rodrygo and bending his ankle at a grotesque ankle. After a heated debate and a prolonged VAR verify, the referee lifted the purple card. Off went Nandez, and in got here right-back Guillermo Varela, attacker Giorgian De Arrascaeta, and a Brazilian onslaught of assaults.
Uruguay dropped again right into a 5-4-0, with Nunez becoming a member of his entrance 4 behind the ball. They defended aggressively, nipping on the Brazilian backline because it handed the ball round.
Brazil solely received two cracks at objective in the course of the 20ish minutes between Nandez’s dismissal and the shootout — a Rodrygo free-kick that hit the wall and an Endrick outside-the-box effort that rolled comfortably into Rochet’s gloves.
And there, we noticed how Endrick’s youth was proven. Though Endrick remains to be the larger-than-life, sweetheart that everybody in Brazil — even his rivals — will love, he’s nonetheless younger. That is nonetheless a teen adjusting to the tempo of high-level soccer, nonetheless coping with the physicality of top-level defenders. We noticed glimpses of frustration because the baby-faced Endrick gripped his hair, scrunched his face, and let a vexed scream escape. He appeared confused, unable to take care of Uruguay’s physicality, and angered by Brazil’s incapability to get him the ball or take any dangers.
And there, we noticed the true challenge with this Brazilian facet. With Vinicius and Neymar out, the group doesn’t have a real creator. The group doesn’t have a Kaká or a Zico within the midfield. Exterior of Paquetá, who has created most of Brazil’s probabilities on the Copa, Brazil doesn’t have anybody. A few of it’s due to Vini’s absence, and a few due to supervisor Dorival Junior’s laissez-faire ways.
Nevertheless, Brazil is in a state of chaos. The apocalyptic dysfunction ex-gaffer Tite left behind is nowhere near being resolved.
Brazil loses in penalties
After Valverde tucked his shot to the underside left, Rochet batted away Eder’s penalty with a formidable save. Rodrigo Bentacur, Andreas Pereira, and Georgian De Arrascaeta all made their penalties, with Douglas Luiz set to move to the road.
Luiz stutter-stepped his strategy to the spot, and his effort is inches away from rolling into the online. However, the submit cruelly denies his penalty, leaving Brazil on the point of the penalty. Regardless of a tremendous Alisson save and Gabriel Martinelli’s rating, Manuel Ugarte’s well-hit penalty despatched Alisson fully the flawed approach.
Brazil, in a fairly anticlimactic approach, was out. Endrick and Brazil might be left to choose up the items of a shattered Copa America event as they give the impression of being to surge again to a World Cup qualifying berth.
“We wish to put Brazil on high,” Endrick sighed after the loss. “We are going to proceed to work and put together for the World Cup”. The loss comes as a coming-of-age second for the incoming Actual star.
Uruguay will advance to the semifinals for an entertaining match towards Colombia, who haven’t misplaced in 26 matches. They’ll be with out Araujo and Nandez of their pivotal conflict.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
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