Vinicius Junior played a starring role as Brazil kick-started their Copa America campaign with a commanding 4-1 victory over 10-man Paraguay, who were eliminated from the competition.
The Real Madrid forward scored twice for the Selecao, who opened the tournament with a drab goalless draw against Costa Rica on Monday, while Savinho and Lucas Paqueta were also on target at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Dorival Junior's side subsequently closed in on a quarter-final spot by moving onto four points in Group D – two behind leaders Colombia, who they will join in the last eight with a draw when the nations meet in their final group outing on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, Omar Alderete's wonderful long-range strike proved academic for Paraguay, as La Albirroja bowed out following their second successive defeat, which was compounded by a late Andres Cubas red card.
Brazil were presented with a golden opportunity to break the deadlock on the half-hour mark. Referee Piero Maza Gomez pointed straight to the penalty spot as Paqueta's shot struck Cubas' arm, but the West Ham midfielder could only fire wide from 12 yards out.
Nevertheless, Brazil broke through four minutes later as a lovely move culminated in Vinicius latching onto Paqueta's throughball, and drilling under Rodrigo Morinigo's dive.
The Selecao doubled their lead when Savinho tapped home in the 43rd minute, and it was 3-0 in stoppage time - albeit in fortunate circumstances - as Alderete's attempted stabbed clearance ricocheted back into the net off the onrushing Vinicius.
The Paraguay centre-half atoned for his mistake in spectacular fashion three minutes after the restart, with a superb 25-yard volley reducing the deficit.
Alisson Becker then pushed Julio Enciso's dangerous curling strike away during an impressive spell by Daniel Garnero's side.
However, any hopes they had of a fightback were quashed in the 64th minute when Mathias Villasanti was adjudged to have handled Savinho's shot, with Paqueta making no mistake from the spot this time.
Paraguay's misery was compounded with nine minutes remaining, when Cubas was given his marching orders for lashing out at Douglas Luiz.
Vinicius at the double in Brazil victory
This had the potential to be awkward for Brazil, who were winless in their last five Copa America meetings with Paraguay, and they were fresh from that disappointing draw with Costa Rica.
The Selecao enjoyed 74% of possession, completed 695 passes and registered 19 shots in their opener, but to no avail.
However, they scored from four of their six attempts on target today to tighten their grip on second place in Group D, and all but secure their quarter-final spot - with third-place Costa Rica requiring a six-goal swing to displace Dorival's side.
Having recorded the lowest tallies of touches (45) and passes (23) by any outfield starter for Brazil on matchday one, Vinicius looked back to his best here with the most goals (two), dribbles (17), duels (21) and touches in opposition box (11).of any player.
Savinho - brought into the starting line-up after his impressive cameo from the bench against Costa Rica - also got in on the act with his first senior international goal.
Powerless Paraguay bow out
Paraguay do have pedigree when it comes to the Copa America. Two-time winners in 1953 and 1979, they arrived in the United States having only suffered two group-stage exits in the 21st century.
However, it was La Albirroja's overall record that was the concern, having only registered three wins from a possible 15 heading into this game.
They had also lost each of their 18 previous matches when conceding the first goal, so things looked fairly ominous when Vinicius broke through and paved the way for Brazil's late first-half flurry.
To their credit, Paraguay responded well after the break with Alderete's wonderful goal and Enciso testing Alisson, and they managed to match the Selecao's six shots on target throughout the contest.
Nevertheless, overturning such a deficit was always going to be a tough ask, and Brazil eventually got back on track to see out a comfortable victory, which means Garnero's side join Jamaica in the departure lounge.
Mexico coach Lozano says decision on his future is out of his hands after Copa America exit
Jaime Lozano is unsure over his future as Mexico coach after his team exited the Copa America with a whimper.
Mexico were the favourites to progress from Group B at the start of the tournament, yet instead the 2026 World Cup co-hosts find themselves as the biggest casualty so far.
Ecuador held out for a 0-0 draw on Sunday that sent them through at the expense of Mexico on goal difference.
And Lozano, who led Mexico to the Gold Cup title last year, conceded a decision on his future is out of his hands.
"Whenever an objective is not meant, there is certain discomfort and doubts, that's only natural, no matter who's here," Lozano said.
"But the players kept believing until the very end, that's not easy. It's not easy to play that strong union and the commitment that they showed ... over the whole tournament.
"That decision about my future is not up to me."
Mexico had 19 shots but only got three on target, accumulating just 0.89 expected goals (xG) against Ecuador, who will face Argentina in the quarter-finals.
Ecuador coach Felix Sanchez said: "We know it is an unmatched opponent, and we know how tough it's going to be, but our players are happy that they've moved to the next round, and we'll see how that unfolds," he added.
"It is another final for us, and we will try to compete against the world's champion and the world's best team.
"I believe that our team is going to be extremely motivated with a very high morale and trying to play a good match.
"I have full confidence in our players. I know they are going to give their best as they've done in the three matches. We know how tough it is, but it is 11 against 11, and we're going to do whatever we can to win it."
Venezuela, meanwhile, stayed perfect by hammering already-eliminated Jamaica 3-0 in Austin.
They will take on Canada in the last eight.
Reggae Boyz head coach quits following 3-0 loss to Venezuela, amid reports of souring relationship with JFF, key players
The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has announced the immediate resignation of Heimir Hallgrímsson, head coach of the Senior Men's National Team. The decision was communicated by Hallgrímsson to the JFF president and players earlier today.
According to a statement released Sunday night by the JFF, Hallgrímsson, who took over the role more than two years ago, has been instrumental in raising the standards of the national team. His tenure has brought significant benefits to the JFF and the wider Jamaican football community. Despite his efforts, recent events have led to his departure from the position.
In the statement, the JFF expressed gratitude for Hallgrímsson's contributions, acknowledging his commitment to the team and wishing him success in his future endeavors. The JFF's Technical Committee will now begin the search for a new head coach as the Concacaf Nations League and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers loom on the horizon.
Hallgrímsson's resignation comes on the heels of Jamaica’s 3-0 loss to Venezuela on Sunday, which marked their third straight defeat in the Copa America. Meanwhile, a report in the Sunday Observer indicated that the relationship between Hallgrímsson and the JFF had soured, with the coach also losing favour with several key players in the Reggae Boyz squad.
According to the Observer report, sources within the JFF suggested that frustrations on both sides had reached a breaking point, leading to an early separation. Hallgrímsson, who led Iceland to its first-ever FIFA World Cup appearance in 2018, was brought on board in 2022 with the goal of securing Jamaica's qualification for the 2026 tournament. Despite a fairly respectable record Halgrímsson's tenure has been marred by internal conflicts and less-than-convincing results.
The report went on to say that coach's relationship with the JFF reportedly began to deteriorate significantly earlier this year and that Hallgrímsson vacated his residence in Jamaica and returned to Iceland in January, only traveling to Jamaica for team assignments. Additionally, his attempts to reintegrate controversial Aston Villa attacker Leon Bailey into the squad for the Copa America were met with resistance from other players, further straining relations within the team.
As the JFF begins the search for a new head coach, the focus will be on finding a leader capable of uniting the team and steering Jamaica towards success in the Concacaf Nations League and the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Jamaica exits Copa America with 3-0 loss to Venezuela
Jamaica bowed out of the 2024 CONMEBOL Copa America with a 3-0 defeat to Venezuela in their final Group B match on Sunday at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. This loss marked Jamaica’s third consecutive defeat in the tournament, concluding their participation without a win.
The match started with a glimmer of hope for Jamaica as Michael Hector, making his record-extending ninth Copa America appearance, struck on target in the sixth minute. However, the early optimism quickly faded as Venezuela began to assert their dominance.
Jamaican goalkeeper Jahmali Waite made a crucial save in the 42nd minute, deflecting a powerful shot from Darwin Machis to keep the score-line level at half time. Despite Waite’s efforts, Venezuela broke the deadlock early in the second half. Eduard Bello headed home a cross in the 49th minute to give Venezuela the lead.
The South American side doubled their advantage in the 56th minute when Salomon Rondon found the back of the net with a precise hit inside the box. Jamaica continued to search for their first goal of the match, with Kaheim Dixon coming close in the 77th minute, but his attempt was off target.
Venezuela sealed their victory in the 85th minute as Eric Ramirez scored their third goal, ensuring their place at the top of Group B. Jamaica had one final attempt from Alex Marshall in stoppage time, concluding their eight attempts on goal for the day.
Despite a valiant effort, Jamaica exits their third Copa America participation at the bottom of their group. The Reggae Boyz managed to score their first goal of the tournament on the second matchday through Michail Antonio but could not secure any points in their three group matches.
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