On June 29th at 9:00 am Beijing time, the highly anticipated Copa América 2024 Group D 2nd round match was held at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, where Brazil and Paraguay had a fierce duel. This match is not only about the qualifying position of the two teams, but also a direct competition between two of the most powerful teams in South American soccer.
At the beginning of the match, both teams quickly got into the game, with a tight rhythm of offense and defense. The Brazilian team relied on their overall strength to keep the pressure on Paraguay, while the Paraguayan team relied on their tough defense and sharp counter-attacks to try to find a good chance to break through the goal.
The first turning point came in the 31st minute of the first half. Brazil's Paqueta broke into the penalty area during a counterattack and was fouled by Paraguayan defender Cubas, and the referee decided to award a penalty kick. However, Paqueta's penalty kick was accidentally deflected and Brazil missed a great opportunity to take the lead. The penalty and the result undoubtedly put a lot of psychological pressure on the Brazilian players, but they quickly adjusted to the situation and continued to put pressure on the opponents.
In the 36th minute, Brazil's efforts finally paid off. Vinicius made a breakthrough on the left, played a subtle combination with teammate Guimarães, and entered the penalty area with a low shot, scoring Brazil's first goal of this year's America's Cup, making the score 1-0. This goal greatly boosted the morale of the Brazilian team, and they continued to strengthen their attacking force.
In the 43rd minute, Brazil extended their lead again. After Rodrigo's attempted shot was parried in front of the goal, Savio followed up with a timely shot to make the score 2-0. In the first half of stoppage time, Brazil added another goal. Paqueta's pass found Vinicius, who scored from a narrow angle in front of the goal to make it 2-0, and Brazil went into the break with a 3-0 lead.
Paraguay did not give up at the start of the second half and launched a fierce counterattack. In the 48th minute, Paraguay's forward pass was cleared, Adrett shot directly into the air outside the penalty area, the ball cut a wonderful arc into the corner of the goal, for Paraguay to equalize, the score changed to 1-3.
However, Brazil did not panic and continued to play steadily, looking for a chance to extend their lead. In the 65th minute, Brazil was awarded another penalty kick. Savio's shot hit the opponent's arm and the referee pointed to the penalty spot again. This time, Paqueta didn't let the chance slip away, and he firmly put the penalty kick in, giving Brazil a 4-1 lead.
Towards the end of the match, Paraguayan player Cuevas was sent off by the referee for a retaliatory action, which added to the woes of the Paraguayan team. Although they had a few good chances to attack later, they were unable to change the score because of the obvious difference in strength.
As the final whistle blew, Brazil finished off Paraguay with a 4-1 win, securing their first victory in the group stage of this year's Copa América.
