Brazil will be eyeing the position of top dogs in South America as they get their Copa America 2024 campaign off against Costa Rica.
The 2024 Copa America kicks off its final Matchday 1 fixtures on Monday with a Group D clash between nine-time champions Brazil and Costa Rica at SoFi Stadium. Brazil come into this tournament after a 1-1 draw with the USA in their last warm-up game, while Costa Rica triumphed 3-0 over Grenada in a World Cup qualifier earlier this month.
Brazil, known for their high expectations in any major competition, aims to secure another Copa America title. In their last two tournament appearances, they reached the final, but their 2016 campaign in the United States saw them eliminated in the group stage, a first since 1987.
Dorival Junior, appointed as head coach in January after Carlo Ancelotti decided to stay with Real Madrid, has had an unbeaten start, guiding the team through four matches without a loss. Brazil have not been defeated by a CONCACAF team since a 2-0 loss to Mexico in June 2012.
Under Junior, Brazil have shown some improvements compared to the disappointing tenure of Fernando Diniz. However, they have conceded six goals in their last three games, a notable difference from the defensive solidity under Tite from 2016-2022. Despite this, Brazil remains unbeaten in their last seven Copa America group-stage games since a 1-0 defeat to Peru in 2016.
Costa Rica have started their quest for a fourth consecutive World Cup appearance strongly, winning their first two qualifiers with a combined score of 7-0. Gustavo Alfaro’s team faces a challenging group stage in the Copa America, a tournament they last entered in 2016.
Los Ticos have enjoyed a successful run recently, winning four of their last six matches and only losing once to Argentina (3-1). They have kept clean sheets in their last three competitive games and have won 15 of their last 16 matches when scoring first. Despite this form, Costa Rica have not advanced beyond the Copa America group stage since 2004 in Peru. They have only gone winless in one of their five tournament appearances (1997).
Historically, Costa Rica has struggled against Brazil, losing their last nine encounters and failing to score in the previous three matches. Their only win over Brazil dates back to the 1960 Panamerican Championship (3-0).
Given Brazil’s pedigree and depth, they are clear favourites against Costa Rica. While Costa Rica has been impressive in recent qualifiers, the challenge of facing Brazil remains formidable. Dorival Junior’s team, despite recent defensive issues, possesses the quality and experience needed to navigate the group stage successfully.
Costa Rica’s resilience will make the match competitive, but an upset would require a remarkable performance. The Hard Tackle delves into the potential elevens and tactics for this clash.
Team News & Tactics
Brazil
Familiar omissions from the Brazilian squad include Manchester City goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, who sustained an eye socket fracture in a May fixture against Tottenham Hotspur, and Casemiro, left out due to a knock suffered in March.
Additionally, record goalscorer Neymar is still recovering from an ACL injury, and Richarlison is sidelined with a calf injury. Despite the absentees, Dorival Junior still has a strong roster to choose from.
Alisson Becker should start in goal behind the back four of Danilo, Marquinhos, Eder Militao and Wendell. Douglas Luiz and Bruno Guimaraes are both likely to hold firm as the double pivot, with Raphinha, Lucas Paqueta and Rodrygo providing the thrust upfield. Vinicius Junior should start upfront and will hope to lead his national team to glory following his exploits at Real Madrid.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Militao, Wendell; Guimaraes, Luiz; Raphinha, Paqueta, Rodrygo; Junior
Costa Rica
Costa Rica come into the tournament on the back of just one loss in their last five games, against world champions Argentina in March. While Brazil represents a significantly strong challenge, Los Ticos are likely to have a proper go.
A 3-4-2-1 formation appears to be the way forward, with Patrick Sequeira in goal. The back three of Francisco Calvo, Julio Cascante, and Juan Pablo Vargas. Haxzel Quiros and Joseph Mora should provide the width as wing-backs, with Orlando Galo and Brandon Aguilera forming the central midfield duo.
Joel Campbell and Alvaro Zamora should don the roles of dual number tens, with Anthony Contreras leading the line.
Probable Lineup (3-4-2-1): Sequeira; Cascante, Vargas, Calvo; Quiros, Galo, Aguilera, Mora; Campbell, Zamora; Contreras
Key Stats
- Brazil and Costa Rica have played each other 11 times so far across all competitions. The former have won 10 while the latter have won just once.
- Neither team have drawn a game over the duration of 90 minutes against each other.
- Costa Rica have failed to breach the Brazilian defence in their last three encounters.
- A win on the night will see Brazil extend their winning streak against Costa Rica to 10 games across all competitions.
Player to Watch
Vinicius Junior
The Real Madrid star is arguably Brazil’s most prolific attacker and will hope to convert his dominance at the club level to the international stage. The Selecao are far from the favourites for this summer’s tournament and will need their forwards to make the best of goalscoring opportunities.
Vinicius has developed a reputation for being a man of the big moments, and he will once again be called upon by his teammates to shoulder that burden this summer. A good start against Costa Rica will help him build momentum ahead of tougher challenges.
Prediction
Brazil 2-0 Costa Rica
While Brazil go into the game as favourites, they are far from untouchable. The game is likely to be closely fought but the Samba side’s quality and strength in depth should tilt the tie in their favour.
