51 min A lovely effort from Coutinho, whose rising drive across goal flashes this far past the top corner.
49 min Tapia takes a yellow card for the team, dragging Coutinho down to stop a Brazil counter-attack.
48 min Some early pressure from Brazil. A corner is taken short to Alex Sandro, whose cross is headed away. Dani Alves picks up the loose ball and tries to score from 40 yards. No.
47 min “Speaking once again as a Liverpool dan, it’s great to be able to enjoy Gabriel Jesus’ skill (and any Alison brinkmanship) without consternation,” says JP. “Helluva player.”
Half time: Brazil 2-1 Peru
Peep peep! Brazil deserve to lead at half-time, but their second goal was a cruel blow to Peru so soon after their equaliser. Paolo Guerrero is almost in tears as he walks off the field.
The goal stemmed from the defensive industry of Firmino, who nicked the ball off a Peruvian player near the halfway line. His tackle diverted the ball to Arthur, who skedaddled into space and played a short through pass to Gabriel Jesus just inside the area. Zambrano slipped, which gave Jesus just enough time to drag a disguised low shot across Gallese and into the far corner. Lovely finish.
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45 min That goal wasn’t against the run of play; it was affront to the run of play. Peru, quite rightly, will not give a solitary fig about that. They are level in the Copa America final!
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GOAL! Brazil 1-1 Peru (Guerrero 44 pen)
Guerrero scores! He passes the ball calmly to his right, sending Alisson the wrong way.
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It was given for handball against Thiago Silva, who fell as he tried to tackle Cueva. The ball hit his hand, and under the revised law that’s a penalty.
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39 min A better move from Peru ends when Guerrero goes over in the Brazil area. There were no appeals for a penalty from the Peru players.
36 min: Good chance for Firmino! After another classy passing move, Alex Sandro curled a booming cross beyond the far post, where Firmino got above Trauco and thumped a header over the bar. Trauco just about did enough to ensure Firmino could not get over the top of the ball.
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36 min “I don’t want to sound inflammatory, but Niall Mullen is an ill man if he genuinely doesn’t see the beauty in West Germany’s 1990 kit,” inflames Matt Dony. “I don’t have fond memories of that team, but that kit still looks wonderful. Admittedly, it’s no ‘Crown Paints’, but pretty darn spiffing nonetheless.”
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35 min Everton goes on a thrilling run down the left, beating Avincula twice before Zambrano comes across to clear.
34 min Peru are a game bunch, but so far Brazil have had a bit too much nous. They have kept the Peru attack at arm’s length throughout the match.
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33 min “Update from Naxos,” says JP. “A kid at the restaurant has drawn the ire of the bartender by overriding the TV with his phone and casting YouTube kids onto the big screen. The interesting thing is that Dejan Lovren appears to have a sideline as a singing Mexican in a sombrero on kids TV. Explains a lot…”
Wait till you see the Alberto Moreno channel.
30 min “How Liverpool dans achieve that grade?” asks Niall Mullen. “They judo don’t they though.”
29 min Brazil break through Gabriel Jesus, who is fouled just past the halfway line by Tapia. He knew what he was doing, but did it with sufficient clumsiness to avoid a yellow card.
27 min The Peru coach Ricardo Gareca is very animated on the touchline, waving his hands all over the place like David Brent. Peru win a corner, their first I think. Yotun’s outswinger from the left is headed over from six yards by the under-pressure Zambrano (I think). It wasn’t much of a chance.
25 min “Evening Rob,” says Simon McMahon. “Got to agree about the Peru kit being a timeless classic. But as for not capturing the public imagination, they certainly grabbed the attention of lots of Scotland fans in 1978.”
24 min That was almost a second. After a long, patient move, Firmino cut the ball back from the left to Coutinho, whose stabbed shot with the outside of his right foot drifted a few yards wide. Gallese had it covered.
20 min Now Brazil are pressing high up the pitch, and Peru have struggled to get out in the last few minutes.
18 min Brazil have not conceded in the entire tournament, so it’s fair to say Peru are up against it.
It was a really nice goal. Dani Alves drove a long pass down the right to Gabriel Jesus, who turned Trauco inside out and drove a cross towards the far post. It picked out the unmarked Everton, who arrived late and slammed a volley into the net from eight yards.
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14 min Brazil have started to settle, with Arthur and Casemiro seeing more of the ball in midfield. The first goal already feels vital, such is the edginess around the ground.
11 min “These two teams,” begins Scott Bassett, “are going to kick the bejesus out of each other, aren’t they?”
Well, it’s an option.
10 min Peru have been the better team in the first 10 minutes, playing with more aggression and purpose. It makes sense to start fast and try to undermine Brazil before they settle into the game.
9 min “As a Liverpool dan,” says JP, “it’s great to see two current player and one ex-player in the Brazil XI as well as Everton to round things out.”
A Liverpool dan? How do you achieve that rank, then?
6 min Peru are starting to settle into the game and are pressing Brazil high up the pitch. A clearance goes straight to Yotun, who chests it down and hits a looping shot from distance that goes well wide.
6 min “I hope Peru can make it a game but I doubt it,” says Mary Waltz. “Brazil at home with a huge edge in quality will be too much.”
I agree, although I said the same before the 1950 World Cup decider against Uruguay.
2 min Coutinho is penalised for handball 35 yards from goal. Cueva steeps up, to huge jeers, and curls a few yards wide. Alisson had it covered.
2 min “Peru have always had the most underrated jersey in world football,” says Niall Mullen. “Maybe because they have never captured the public’s imagination like Denmark 86. Most overrated, since you didn’t, West Germany 1990.”
I agree about Peru’s shirt, which is a timeless classic. That said, I wonder if it falls foul of the Irwin/Parlour rule, which says you can’t be underrated if everyone says you’re underrated. Brazil’s current kit is also lovely.
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1 min Peep peep! Peru get the match under way. They are wearing white with the familiar red sash. Brazil are in yellow and green.
“Sitting alone in a restaurant in Naxos,” says JP. “The bartender is 99.99% confident that the game is rigged in the hosts’ favour. Is that indeed so?”
Yes: Brazil have a population of 212 million to Peru’s 33m.
The Peru players are belting out the national anthem. Some of them look close to tears. Brazil’s players are a little less emotional, with the inevitable, wonderful exception of Dani Alves.
This is Brazil’s first game at the Maracana since Fred routed Brazil in the final of the 2013 Confederations Cup.
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Team news
Brazil (4-3-3) Alisson; Alves, Marquinhos, Thiago Silva, Sandro; Arthur, Casemiro, Coutinho; Jesus, Firmino, Everton.
Substitutes: Miranda, Filipe Luis, David Neves, Willian, Eder Militao, Allan, Cassio Ramos, Fernandinho, Lucas Paqueta, Richarlison, Fagner, Ederson.
Peru (4-2-3-1) Gallese; Advincula, Zambrano, Abram, Trauco; Tapia, Yotun; Carrillo, Cueva, Flores; Guerrero.
Substitutes: Corzo, Santamaria, Araujo, Ballon, Ruidiaz, Caceda, Polo, Pretell, Alvarez, Callens, Gonzales.
Referee Roberto Tobar.
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Preamble
Hello. Brazil may have made a gruesome, historic mess of hosting the World Cup, but the Copa America has provided a much happier story. This is the fifth time they have hosted it; on the first four occasions, in 1919, 1922, 1949 and 1989, they won the tournament.
Approximately 100.00 per cent of the Brazilian population will expect them make it five out of five by beating Peru at the Maracana today. It’s hard to envisage any other result. Brazil under Tite have been extremely hard to beat – even if, as is their post-Sarrià wont, they have generally been more efficient than erotic since he took over.
They are yet to concede a goal in this tournament. But two of their five matches ended 0-0 and some of the most joyous moments for Brazilian fans have involved the woes of Saint Lionel rather than the old jogo bonito.
Brazil last won this tournament in 2007. Peru last did so in 1975, which was also the last time they reached the final. At their best they are a dynamic, likeable side, as they showed when they thumped the holders Chile 3-0 in the semi-finals.
Until then they were mediocre, however, Brazil plugged them 5-0 during the group stage. For that, and many other reasons, a win for Peru would register very high on the Maracanozometer.
Kick off is at 5pm local time, 4pm ET, 9pm CET.
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