Brazil 2-1 Peru: Five Talking Points from the Copa America match

Neymar scored and created the winner as Brazil came from behind to win their 11th consecutive game under Dunga thanks to their 2-1 win over Peru in their opening Copa America game. Christian Cueva opened the scoring inside three minutes after a goalkeeping error, but the Barcelona forward headed home the early equaliser barely two minutes later.

Highlights: Brazil 2-1 Peru

After a frenetic start, the game settled down with both sides creating plenty of problems for the opposing defence. Neymar hit the bar before setting up Douglas Costa in injury time to make it 11 wins out of 11 since their World Cup exit.

Here are the major talking points from the game:

1. Brazil flatter to deceive… again

After conceding 10 goals in their last two World Cup games, Brazil had conceded just twice in 10 games before the start of this match. Dunga’s side are currently ranked fifth in the world and are on an 11-game winning run. Yet you can’t escape the feeling that their win over Peru was yet another unconvincing performance in which they were lucky to escape with all three points.

The boos that greeted a 1-0 win over Honduras prior to this tournament is proof that the fans still demand a lot more from the side. On the evidence of their performance against Peru in which they laboured for long spells before eventually getting the winner, they are right in demanding so.

There is plenty Dunga can improve upon. Starting from having a half-decent keeper between the posts, to selecting his best defenders, who can defend, to creating an attack which doesn’t completely revolve around one player, the 51-year-old still has a long way to go before he is adored as a manager and that will not change unless performances improve.

2. Better late than never

Sometimes in life, things don’t always go according to plan. While some deviations end happily, others don’t. As far as Brazil’s injury problems are concerned, it is the former. If it weren’t for Danilo’s injury, Dani Alves, arguably the side’s most potent threat behind Neymar against Peru, wouldn’t have even been in the squad for this tournament.

If the exclusion of a player fresh from winning a treble with Barcelona seems bizarre, the truth is that Brazil haven’t needed Alves thanks to the form of Danilo. But in his absence, the right back is certainly showing Dunga just why he should’ve been in the squad in the first place. Not only did the 32-year-old create the equaliser for Neymar, but he always provided an outlet on the right flank and gave the side some much-needed width.

3. Neymar’s antics overshadow his football

Brazil’s football fanatic fans demand flair and there is little doubt that Neymar, the country’s fifth highest goal scorer provides most of it in this side. But while his talent has never been in doubt, the way he conducts himself on the pitch is something that Dunga needs to address.

Although he was the Selecao’s most-potent threat going forward, his petulance was akin to a kid throwing out his toys when he doesn’t get what he wants. While there is little doubt that Neymar is fouled often, that is certainly no excuse to fling yourself to the ground at every opportunity and demand punishment for the opponent.

While his yellow card for scooping up the spray before taking his free-kick did not matter much in this game, it might come back to bite Brazil later in the tournament. If it seems harsh to criticise Neymar when he single-handedly won the game for his side, the truth is that he needs to mature and understand that there is a lot more to football that just goals.

4. Peru are no pushovers

Despite being ranked 56 places below Brazil and having never beaten them in 11 previous attempts, Ricardo Gareca’s side came within a few minutes of ending the Selecao’s 10-game winning run. While four quarter-finals and two semi-finals in the last six Copa Americas speaks volumes for their credentials, the current Peru side are unlikely to repeat their third place finish in 2011.

One of the main reasons for that is their lack of defensive solidity, which was exposed time and again by Brazil. Although Los Incas looked threatening when they went forward, their defensive frailties ultimately cost them the game. But that should take nothing away from the fact that Gareca’s side came close to securing a point against the World’s No.5 ranked team in only his third game in charge.

5. Raise a toast for Roberto

It is not often that you finish watching a game and feel that the game’s best performer didn’t score, assist or make any saves or blocks. Yet at the conclusion of the Brazil-Peru game, there could’ve been little doubt as to who the man of the match was. It was none other than the man in the middle, referee Roberto Garcia.

Yet the 40-year-old Mexican, who previously played in his country’s second division showed tremendous understanding of the game as he let it flow at every opportunity. Garcia was not fooled into giving silly free-kicks when the Brazilian players were doing their best to con him into giving one and had one of the best games of his career.

While it is rare that referees are praised for their work, let us take a minute to talk about Garcia’s performance in a game that was full-blooded, filled with tackles, plenty of pathetic playacting and arm waving.