Fernando Callas
(Reuters) – Vinicius Junior unleashed his inner beast in just over 45 raucous minutes that embodied Brazilian football, leading the five-time World Cup champions to their first victory in the 2024 Copa America against Paraguay on Friday.
The energetic 23-year-old winger scored two goals and delivered the performance that Brazilian fans have long been waiting for. Real Madrid's rising star might be one of the best players in the world, but his passionate spark has been missing from his performances for the national team so far.
In Brazil's opening game of this year's Copa America, a goalless draw with Costa Rica, Vinicius failed to score a single time and was forced to be substituted midway through the second half, after which Brazil coach Dorival Junior changed tack – a decision that proved costly.
Instead of using him as a conventional winger on the left wing against Costa Rica, Dorival allowed Vinicius to roam freely up front against Paraguay on Friday, showing fans why the coach who led Real to a La Liga and Champions League double is a strong contender for the Ballon d'Or award.
After a disappointing opening match, Brazil struggled initially against a similarly defensive opponent and almost lost their composure when Lucas Paqueta missed a penalty kick wide midway through the first half.
But instead, Vinicius rescued them. He took control, moved all over the field, took two shots and created another chance to set up Savinho to score, helping Brazil go into the first half with a comfortable 3-0 lead.
For a Brazilian team playing under immense pressure, with the expectations of 215 million countrymen on their shoulders, that was more than enough.
“Today I played at my level,” Vinicius told reporters.
“I always say I don't play for myself, I play for the team, for Brazil and for the country. I always try to do my best but it's not always possible.”
“We played a great game today. I know we can improve and I want to do my best for Brazil and lead them to where they deserve to be,” he said.
(Reporting by Fernando Callas and Edwina Gibbs Editing by