Monday 14 June 2021
Corona worries at Messi
Neymar goes on a record hunt at the Copa start
At the start of the domestic Copa América, Brazil is clearly splitting Corona-weakened Venezuela. Especially superstar Neymar turns up. However, the soccer tournament is still overshadowed by numerous positive Covid tests.
Thanks to superstar Neymar, Brazil got off to an optimal start in the domestic Copa America in a 3-0 (1-0) win against Venezuela. In the duel of the Seleção, which was the only team to speak out against hosting the South American Championship in the pandemic epicenter on the Sugar Loaf, against the Vinotintos, the Paris St. Germain striker was involved in all three goals. In Venezuela, eight players tested positive for Covid-19 immediately before the start of the tournament.
While Neymar with his converted penalty is now only ten goals away from Pelé’s record, who scored 77 times in official internationals, Colombia also got off to a good start in Group B with a 1-0 (1-0) against Ecuador. The second group of five with Argentina as the favorite starts the tournament on Monday. Four teams each qualify for the quarter-finals.
Messi: “That worries us”
However, the headlines still belonged to the coronavirus. In addition to Venezuela, Bolivia (three players, one supervisor) and Colombia (two supervisors) reported positive corona cases over the weekend. “That worries us,” said Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, adding: “We will do everything we can to prevent it from happening to us, but it doesn’t just depend on us.”
At the sporty Copa opener in Brasilia, as prescribed for the tournament without spectators in the stadium, Neymar chased records. After his corner and confusion in Venezuela’s penalty area, PSG colleague Marquinhos (24th) marked the lead, before Neymar safely converted a penalty in the 64th minute and then put on the 3-0 through Gabriel Barbosa (89th). With 46 assists in 106 internationals, he was involved in 113 Selecao goals.
In Cuiaba, Edwin Cardona (42nd) avenged the cafeteros with a goal after a VAR decision, which had lost a good seven months ago in the Eliminatorias in Ecuador at 1: 6. The group continues on Thursday with Colombia against Venezuela and the new edition of the last Copa America final, when Brazil got the upper hand 3-1 against Peru in the Maracanã two years ago.
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