Aoba Tanaka 
Vinicius Jr scored twice to lead Brazil to a resounding 4-1 victory over Paraguay, reigniting their Copa America campaign. Following a disappointing draw against Costa Rica in their opening match, the Selecao needed a win to boost their chances ahead of their final group fixture against Colombia.
The nine-time Copa America champions were handed an early opportunity to take the lead in the 30th minute when they were awarded a penalty for handball following a shot from Lucas Paqueta. However, the West Ham midfielder missed the spot-kick, sending it wide.
Paqueta redeemed himself just four minutes later by assisting Vinicius Jr in opening the scoring. The Real Madrid star finished off a brilliant team move to put Brazil ahead.
Brazil doubled their lead just before halftime through Savinho, who netted his first goal for the national team. The young forward capitalized on a defensive mix-up by Paraguay to score from close range. Vinicius Jr, struggling to replicate his club form with Brazil, found his groove and scored his second goal in first-half stoppage time by pouncing on a clearance to make it 3-0.
Paraguay, who remain bottom of the group with zero points, managed to pull one back shortly after the break. Getafe’s Omar Alderete scored a stunning long-range goal, giving Paraguay a glimmer of hope. However, Brazil restored their three-goal cushion in the 65th minute when they were awarded another controversial penalty for handball. Paqueta, making up for his earlier miss, successfully converted the penalty to make it 4-1.
The match saw tempers flare in the latter stages, culminating in Paraguay’s Andres Cubas being sent off for kicking out at Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
Meanwhile, Group D leaders Colombia continued their impressive start to the competition with a 3-0 win against Costa Rica. Liverpool winger Luis Diaz opened the scoring from the penalty spot on the half-hour mark. Former Tottenham defender Davinson Sanchez doubled Colombia’s lead with a header from a corner just before the hour. Jhon Cordoba sealed the win with a close-range strike.
Colombia can ensure they finish top of Group D by avoiding defeat against Brazil in their final group stage fixture on Tuesday evening (02:00 BST on Wednesday).
Brazil’s victory sets the stage for an exciting showdown against Colombia, where both teams will be vying for the top spot in the group.
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