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• Brazil 0-0 Costa Rica: Wasteful Selecao frustrated in Copa America opener

  Brazil began their Copa America campaign with a frustrating goalless draw against Costa Rica at the SoFi Stadium.

  The Selecao dominated large periods of the Group D clash. Marquinhos saw a goal ruled out following a VAR review, while Lucas Paqueta rattled the woodwork from distance.

  Yet despite enjoying just under three-quarters of the possession and registering 19 shots to their opponents' two, they could not find the breakthrough and failed to win their opening match in the competition for the first time since 2016.

  Dorival Junior's side subsequently lost early ground on Group D leaders Colombia, who beat Paraguay 2-1 earlier in the day.

  Brazil quickly asserted their authority on proceedings in California as they sought the game's opening goal.

  Rodrygo steered a shot wide following a jinking run into the penalty area, while Raphinha was denied by Patrick Sequeira after latching onto a diagonal ball over the top of the Costa Rica defence.

  The Selecao thought they had broken the deadlock on the half-hour mark when Marquinhos applied the finishing touch after Rodrygo glanced Raphinha's free-kick towards the far post, only for the strike to be ruled out for offside following a VAR review. 

  Rodrygo fired narrowly over in first-half stoppage time and, then on 63 minutes, Lucas Paqueta saw his ferocious 25-yard drive crash against Sequeira's left upright.

  Dorival withdrew the quiet Vinicius Junior in favour of Endrick and Savinho for the final 20 minutes, and both looked dangerous upon their introductions.

  The latter's cross almost saw Costa Rica defender Haxzel Quiros head into his own net with his blushes spared by Sequeira, who then beat away Guilherme Arana's fierce volley.

  Savinho was involved again in stoppage time as he teed up one final opportunity for Bruno Guimaraes, who bent his first-time shot narrowly wide to compound a frustrating start to the tournament for the nine-time winners.

  Selecao stutter on return to States

  It is fair to say Brazil do not boost particularly fond recent memories of playing in the United States in recent years.

  After all, the Selecao crashed out in the group stages when the Copa America was last held in this nation eight years ago.

  Neymar, who was part of that side, watched on from the stands having been ruled out of this tournament through injury.

  Try as they may, his team-mates just could not break down their opponents and turn their dominance into the elusive goal, with just three of their 19 attempts on target.

  Fresh from playing a starring role in Real Madrid’s LaLiga and Champions League double, Vinicius Junior was unable to inspire his nation – his tallies of 45 touches and 23 passes were the lowest recorded by any of Brazil’s outfield starters.

  On a brighter note, Marquinhos made his 16th Copa America appearance – with only Dani Alves (19) and Thiago Silva (18) playing more times for the Selecao in the competition since 2000 – though a VAR review prevented him from marking the occasion with a goal.

  Another clean sheet for repellent Costa Rica

  Costa Rica were heavy underdogs on their return to the Copa America for the first time in eight years.

  Not since 2004 have Los Ticos progressed from the group stages of this competition, but they certainly know what it takes to claim a scalp on the big stage.

  Exactly 10 years ago, they beat Uruguay and Italy to top Group D, which also featured England, on the way to reaching the World Cup quarter-finals.

  Fast forward a decade and Joel Campbell, who was part of that side, came off the bench for his 140th cap as his nation halted a run of nine successive defeats by Brazil. 

  More impressively, Costa Rica have kept clean sheets in each of their last four competitive games.

  Their failure to record a single shot on target for the first time in a Copa America match since 2011 will be a slight concern, but that defensive stubbornness will stand them in good stead as they look to progress in this tournament.

• 'He knows he has a whole country behind him' - Scaloni empathises as Messi spends birthday on road

  Lionel Scaloni empathised with Lionel Messi after the Argentina captain spent another birthday "away from home".

  Messi, who turned 37 on Monday, and his team-mates are preparing to resume their Copa America title defence against Chile on Tuesday.

  The reigning champions, who began their campaign with a 2-0 victory over Canada, celebrated their skipper's big day by presenting him with a cake.

  Messi wrote on Instagram: "Thank you so much for all the greetings and congratulations! Another year that coincides with my birthday being with the National Team, so celebrating a little bit more and we keep getting ready for our next game."

  And Scaloni understands it must be difficult for the Inter Miami forward not to have the opportunity to celebrate with his family.

  "I know how hard it is for him to be away from home on his birthday," the head coach told reporters during his pre-match press conference.

  "We try to make sure he has the best time possible with his team-mates. We are used to it. He knows he has a whole country behind him.

  "The important thing is that Messi is here. He trained normally and is fit to play [against Chile]."

  Messi was part of the Argentina side that lost to Chile in successive Copa America finals on penalties in 2015 and 2016.

  The eight-time Ballon d'Or briefly retired from international duty following the latter, in which he missed his spot-kick, but overturned his decision before eventually leading his nation to Copa America and World Cup glory in 2021 and 2022 respectively.

  And Scaloni insisted Argentina are not out to avenge those defeats when they lock horns with La Roja at the MetLife Stadium.

  "There is nothing left of [those finals]. Just as it is with last year’s World Cup, it's history. There's no point in going back.

  "We have played many matches with these types of characteristics. We will face the match as it happens."

• Hungary forward Varga undergoes successful surgery after worrying injury

  Barnabas Varga has undergone successful surgery and will leave hospital on Wednesday, after suffering a facial fracture during Hungary's dramatic 1-0 win over Scotland at Euro 2024.

  The forward required urgent medical attention after colliding with Scotland goalkeeper Angus Gunn in the 68th minute of the crucial Group A encounter in Munich on Sunday.

  There was a lengthy stoppage in play, with Varga's team-mates forming a protective wall around him for privacy during treatment.

  The 29-year-old left the field on a stretcher and was taken to hospital, but was in a stable condition before his surgery.

  A statement from the Hungarian Football Federation read: "According to the information of the institution's doctors specialising in facial injuries, the intervention was uncomplicated, so the attacker can leave the hospital on Wednesday."

  Varga's wife Laura Skrapits also shared a picture on Instagram, accompanied by the message: "Thank you for the kind, supportive messages. Barni is over the surgery. A little rest awaits him, but everything will be fine."

  Kevin Csoboth's 100th-minute strike secured third place for Hungary in Group A, boosting their chances of progressing to the knockout stages.

  The team dedicated their victory to Varga, holding aloft his number 19 jersey as they saluted their supporters.