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| Dani Alves in action for Brazil against Peru in the Copa America |
Brazil are out of the 2016 Copa America Centenario after a shock 1-0 defeat to Peru in their final group game of the tournament, a game that saw FC Barcelona player Dani Alves play the full 90 minutes.
The men in yellow dominated most of the game but their domination did not reflect in the score board. Brazil went out all attack from the start and Peru will have their goalkeeper Pedro Gallese to thank as he did well to stop Filipe Luis and Gabriel Barbosa early on.
Brazil had two appeals for a penalty but the strongest of them all came on the 23rd minute when Peru defender Christian Guillermo Ramos took down Lucas Lima in the box but the referee waved it away. It was the turn of Peru to appeal for a penalty minutes later after Edinson Flores was felled in the area but once again, the referee waved it off.
Peru did show much attacking prowess in the first half as they failed to have a single shot on goal but their second half was better has Brazil minimized their attack, being cautious. Christian Cueve shot a free kick that was saved by Brazil’s goalkeeper Alisson Becker.
Peru grew into the game and got a goal on the 75th minute in the most controversial of fashions. Andy Polo made a cross from the right flank that went past Alisson and met substitute Raul Ruidiaz who clearly handled the ball into the net.
The referee did not give the goal initially but after minutes wasted communicating with a mysterious official, he finally gave Peru the goal which was the wrong decision and that goal meant Brazil are out of the Copa America.
The loss is Brazil’s first against Peru in the Copa America for 41 years and the first time the Seleçao fail to reach the quarter final of the Copa America since 1993.after they finished third behind Peru and Ecuador who topped the group after a 4-0 win against Haiti. It puts huge doubt on the future of present coach Dunga.
Dani Alves is now the second FC Barcelona player to crash out of the Copa America after Luis Suarez’s Uruguay got knocked out of the tournament following a 1-0 loss against Venezuela.
Claudio Bravo is still in the tournament with Chile while Argentina have automatically qualified for the quarter final following a Messi master class that saw the star score a hat-trick in the space of 19 minutes to see off Panama 5-0. Bravo, Messi and Mascherano are the Barcelona players still left in the 2016 Copa America Centenario
