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23′ With a quarter of the game gone, Brazil are enjoying a superb 92 per cent success rate when it comes to passes. Ecuador are sporting a considerably worse figure; almost half, with 48 per cent, a shockingly concerning number. No wonder Gustavo Alfaro is roaring like a bull in a china shop.
21′ Gabi looks particularly unhappy with that whole episode, but he does seem perfectly fine to continue. The burst of knocks and injury issues has slowed what was a frenetic start down into something more peculiarly maudlin. Can either side light this up and make it a party again?
19′ Quite why that change took so long for La Tri to implement is on to discuss later. Now Brazil look to have a man in the wars; Gabi, stretching out for a delightful chip, looks to possibly overextend as he collides with goalkeeper Hernan Galindez. The latter gets the save done and the former is fortunately fine.
17′ Finally, finally, almost 10 minutes after first sustaining the injury, Moises Caicedo is off for Ecuador. Angel Mena is on in his place.
15′ No substitute appears to have made it on for Caicedo – and remarkably, unless there’s been a 12th man all along, he still appears to be out there. Lucas Paqueta rattles a shot at goal now for Brazil, to remind everyone that there is a game of football going on here.
13′ This has been a bizarre episode in this Copa America clash. Having returned to the field, Caicedo has gone roughly a handful of yards, and promptly rocked back onto his behind, his head in his hands. It’s clear he can’t continue with whatever that issue is in his leg – and the stretcher is now on, belatedly.
11′ Or apparently not – Caicedo is back on merely a minute later, after Enner Valencia attempts to catch Alisson off his line and lash a 40-yard screamer into an empty net.
10′ Medics are still attending to Caicedo, as instructions are barked at Ecuador by manager Gustavo Alfaro – and it does look like the former’s night may be over already. He’s hobbled to the sidelines.
8′ Douglas Luiz and Moises Caicedo go airborne together challenging for a high ball – and while the latter looks to have lead into the former’s back, it is the Brighton man who comes off worse, clutching at his thigh after coming back to earth awkwardly. Play stops for treatment.
6′ Everton is on set-piece duty for the hosts, it seems, and following a clattering challenge on Emerson by Diego Palacios, he turfs a delivery into the Ecuador box. It comes up empty-handed as an opportunity but presents a foothold for Brazil to nestle in for now at least.
4′ That being said, Ecuador have more to play for if anything – and they too are showing plenty of beans early on. A misplaced pass in midfield allows them to come forward; Mendez has a half-chance saved and a follow-up is blazed comfortably wide from distance.
2′ The Selecao, in their traditional canary yellow and azure strip, have wasted absolutely no time from kick-off in getting themselves into gear. This will be no second-string slugfest, it seems. A penalty call is waved away but they press furiously nonetheless.
1′ We are underway in this 2021 Copa America clash between Brazil and Ecuador!
The teams have emerged for the pre-match formalities and we are moments away from kick-off.
Ecuador meanwhile will hope to rely on Ayrton Preciado, who at two goals, is the joint-top scorer so far at the 2021 Copa America. His efforts tonight could be crucial – could he make it three or even four against the favourites?
It’s less than a month since these two sides met of course, having crossed swords on the path to Qatar 2022 – and on that occasion, Brazil emerged as 2-0 victors thanks to Richarlison and a Neymar penalty. It’s a much-changed Selecao side – but will they do the business just as easily?
Subs: Alexander Dominguez, Fidel Martínez, Gonzalo Plata, Christian Noboa, Michael Estrada, Pedro Ortíz, Felix Torres, Mario Pineida, Xavier Arreaga, Leonardo Campana, Angel Mena, Jordy Caicedo.
ECUADOR (4-4-1-1): Hernan Galindez; Angelo Preciado, Robert Arboleda, Diego Palacios, Piero Hincapie; Moises Caicedo, Jhegson Mendez, Alan Steven Franco, Pervis Estupinan; Ayrton Preciado; Enner Valencia.
Subs: Thiago Silva, Fred, Gabriel Jesus, Danilo, Neymar, Vinicius Junior, Casemiro, Ederson, Alex Sandro, Everton Ribeiro, Richarlison, Weverton.
BRAZIL (4-4-2): Alisson; Emerson, Marquinhos, Eder Militao, Renan Lodi; Everton, Fabinho, Lucas Paqueta, Douglas Luiz; Roberto Firmino, Gabriel Barbosa.
As for Ecuador, a smattering of domestic-based talent is bolstered by the presence of European talent – Enner Valencia and Moises Caicedo among them – while young guns such as Diego Palacios will get the chance to impress too.
It is a testament to the heft that Brazil back in their squad that they can name only two players sporting nominal starting numbers in their first-choice XI today – captain Marquinhos and goalkeeper Alisson – and still look utterly fearsome. Neymar, Thiago Silva, Fred, Danilo and more all have to make do with the bench.
It’s going to be an almighty task against a nation they’ve beaten only twice in competitive football however. Brazil’s dominance in this fixture stretches back generations; Ecuador recorded their only wins in a three-game spell between 2001 and 2004, both by skinny 1-0 margins.
But for Gustavo Alfaro and his visitors, there is plenty more at stake. Heading into today’s final game, draws with Venezuela and Peru mean that they are effectively battling with the pair to take one of the last two Group B spots. Defeat here would leave their rivals needing only a draw to guarantee their place in the quarter-finals; they must pick up points here.
Handed hosting duties mere weeks before the 47th edition of South America’s biggest international tournament got underway, Tite’s reigning champions have taken to their defence like a duck to water. They are the only side who already know where they will play in the quarter-finals – and they’ll wish to warm up with a flourish.
Hello and welcome to live coverage of the 2021 Copa America, as holders Brazil look to make it four North Zone wins from four in their final Group B game against Ecuador at Estadio Olímpico Pedro Ludovico in Goiania.
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25′ As if spurned on by the noise their manager is making, La Tri – in a dashing multi-shade blue number today – now nudge a header at Alisson, clocking up their fourth shot of the game. They’ve remarkably had twice as many as Brazil.