Vinicius Junior’s stellar performance netted him two goals as Brazil cruised past Paraguay with a 4-1 scoreline in Las Vegas.
Dorival Junior praised Vinicius’ near-flawless game after the Real Madrid sensation propelled Brazil to victory. Vinicius Junior’s two first-half goals, combined with strikes from Savinho and Lucas Paqueta, clinched the win. This came after a disappointing stalemate against Costa Rica.
Vinicius, only 23, fired off three shots resulting in an xG of 0.81. His 17 dribble attempts were the second-highest for a Brazilian in Copa America records by Opta since 2011.
“He was practically flawless today,” Dorival remarked about Vinicius, who was the first Brazilian since Philippe Coutinho in 2016 to score a first-half double in a Copa group-stage match. “His dynamic, effective, and direct approach created numerous chances.”
Dorival continued, lauding Vinicius’ synergy with teammates and his overall performance.
Standing second in Group D with four points, Brazil trails Colombia by two points. Colombia has already secured a quarter-final spot after defeating Costa Rica.
“Our next clash with Colombia promises to be fierce,” Dorival predicted, expecting an escalation in performance.
On the flip side, Paraguay is now out, marking their first Copa defeat to Brazil since 2001. Despite Brazil’s dominant 3.86 xG by the end, Paraguay’s coach Daniel Garnero thought his team competed well until Savinho’s 43rd-minute goal. Savinho, among the youngest scorers for Brazil in the competition, was pivotal.
“Up till the 40th minute, it was balanced,” stated Garnero, recognizing the brief lapses that allowed Brazil to solidify their lead. He added, “Vinicius truly belongs to the upper echelons of football talent.”
