Jamaica’s Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson was left with a mixed bag of emotions after his Reggae Boyz suffered a tough 1-3 loss to Ecuador in a hard-fought Copa America encounter in Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

While he lauded his players’ efforts and resilience on the pitch at the Allegiant Stadium, Hallgrimsson did not shy away from expressing his disappointment with the officiating that he believes marred the match, and ultimately eliminated his team from the tournament.

An historic first Copa America goal scored by Michail Antonio in the 54th minute, highlighted Jamaica’s stout-hearted performance, which Hallgrimsson believes could have brought about a more positive result if a potential penalty was awarded to his team by Chilean Referee Cristian Reyes.

Antonio’s strike, his fourth since joining the Jamaican setup, was also the country’s first across its three appearances in the prestigious CONMEBOL tournament. They also graced the tournament in 2015 and 2016.

Ecuador’s goals were courtesy of Kasey Palmer’s 14th-minute own-goal, with Kendry Paez’s 45+4-minute penalty and Alan Minda (90+2) being the others.

“First half was difficult for us Ecuador came out strong which we knew they would so we give them credit for that. We then tweaked or tactics and we started going at them with a high pressing line in the second half because we had nothing to lose at two-nil down. We scored one goal early which was important we should have had a penalty.

“If the first one was a penalty the second one should have been a penalty as well because they were identical incidents, but one was given in favour of Ecuador and we didn’t get ours. So give credit to my players for never giving up until the end, we took risk and Ecuador did well in one counter attack and scored the third goal,” a disappointed Hallgrimsson said in a post-match conference.

“I think it was just more positivity, more power, more on the front foot. We had nothing to lose [being] two under so we decided to go all in. I must give my players credit for everything they gave for the second half; they left everything on the pitch [but], sadly, results didn’t go in our favour. There’s a lot of things that didn’t go to us in this game. We deserved to have more — especially after the second-half performance,” he added.

Hallgrimsson stressed the contentious decision by the referee, as he recounted the incident, emphasizing the need for fair play and consistency in officiating.

The incident in question happened in 70th minute when Michael Hector toed the ball onto the outstretched hand of Steven Franco, but referee Reyes saw no issue with the infringement, even after a lengthy VAR check.  This served as a slap in the face of the Boyz, who were on the other end of a similar incident in the first half when a ball clipped Greg Leigh’s elbow and a penalty awarded to Ecuador.

“I thought we should have had a penalty, like Ecuador had a penalty. I don’t see a difference between the two instances so I don’t know why the referee, after looking at it, decided not to give us a penalty but decided to give them a penalty,” Hallgrimsson argued

“I cannot, for the love of God, I don’t want to say much but I don’t understand the difference between those two. I haven’t got the reason. I’ve seen the replay and, for the love of God, I don’t know why this wasn’t a penalty if the other one was a penalty. I can’t answer for [the referee]. I wish they could sit here and answer that question for me,” he reasoned.

Despite the officiating controversies, Hallgrimsson took some of his players to task, even as he remained focused on the positives.

The Jamaicans, who are rooted at the bottom of group B with no point, will close another failed Copa America campaign against Venezuela, in Austin, Texas, on Sunday.

“Too many players had an off day for us in the first half and when you play these kind of tournaments you cannot have that, but we just didn’t have a response to the pressure that Ecuador applied early. But I don’t think the game was a 3-1 scoreline, we played better than that so it is kind of embarrassing to go with that scoreline,” he ended.

Dorival Junior will get things right despite Brazil's underwhelming start to the Copa America, believes left-back Guilherme Arana, as the Selecao prepare to face Paraguay.

Brazil were held to a frustrating goalless draw by Costa Rica in their opening Group D match on Monday, losing ground on Colombia, who started with a win over Paraguay.

While Dorival praised aspects of his team's performance in that match, he acknowledged more will be needed in the final third if the Selecao are to challenge for a 10th South American crown. 

Atletico Mineiro full-back Arana, who played the full 90 minutes last time out, praised Dorival's approach as he opened up on the coach's reaction to the result. 

"As soon as we entered the dressing room, he praised our pressing after we lost the ball, it was very good, we didn't concede anything defensively," Arana said.

"He encouraged us, gave us morale. I think that's the thought not only of him but of all the players.

"The result of the debut was bad, but we still have two games to go. In other words, two great opportunities. That's the thinking. 

"Of course it's a new job, Dorival arrived recently, the players are new too, but we're focused together with him.

"Dorival knows what he's doing, he's an excellent coach and he's going to help us a lot."

Paraguay were beaten 2-1 by Colombia in their opener, leaving them likely needing to cause an upset to have any chance of reaching the quarter-finals.

Head coach Daniel Garnero believes there were plenty of positives to take from that match, saying: "We have a clear idea of our gameplan and the feeling is that we competed at all times.

"I think it was an even game, we did not manage to bring home the points but we tried to match our opponents. 

"With Argentina [and Colombia], these were the two teams that arrived at the Copa with great superiority. 

"There were many positive elements and when we take stock of this match we'll see this."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Paraguay – Julio Enciso 

Enciso attempted 11 dribbles against Colombia in Paraguay's Copa America opener, the joint-most of any player in the opening round of fixtures at the tournament (tied with Richard Ríos of Colombia). 

The Brighton and Hove Albion player completed six of them, the second-highest figure in the first round, behind Rios' eight.

By netting his nation's consolation goal, he became the second-youngest player to score for Paraguay at a major tournament this century (20 years, 153 days), after Ernesto Cristaldo versus Chile at the 2004 Copa America (20 years, 117 days).

Brazil – Vinicius Junior

Brazil failed to make their superiority count against Costa Rica, making more passes (695) than any other team across the first matchday of the competition, but only registered three shots on target from the 19 they attempted. 

Vinicius was withdrawn for future Real Madrid team-mate Endrick 71 minutes in after failing to register a single shot, though he did create a game-high three chances.

He has been substituted in each of the Selecao's last six competitive matches, versus Costa Rica and in three World Cup qualifiers last year, as well as their last two fixtures at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

After scoring 24 goals and adding nine assists for Los Blancos last season, Vinicius will be expecting to produce a better display on Friday.

MATCH PREDICTION: BRAZIL WIN

Brazil recorded 49 entries into Costa Rica's penalty area on matchday one, their joint-highest figure in a Copa America match since such data began being recorded in 2011 (also versus Paraguay in 2019).

More penetration – and better finishing – will be required next time out.

Paraguay have not lost any of their last five matches against Brazil at the Copa America, recording one win and four draws.

This equals the second-longest unbeaten streak against Brazil in the history of the tournament, behind Argentina's eight-match run between 1923 and 1946 (seven wins, one draw), tied with Paraguay's own streak between 1963 and 1983 (two wins, three draws).

However, Paraguay have only won one of their last six games in all competitions (two draws, three defeats), so Dorvial's team go into the match as strong favourites.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Paraguay – 13.4%

Brazil – 69.6%

Draw – 17%

Venezuela are savouring a famous win after defeating Mexico 1-0 to reach the Copa America quarter-finals.

Mexico's hopes of progression from Group B will now rest on the final matchday, with Ecuador still in the mix to advance after defeating Jamaica 3-1 in Wednesday's other game.

Jamaica are now the first team to be eliminated from the tournament, as Venezuela celebrate joining defending champions Argentina in the last eight with a game to spare.

Salomon Rondon converted a second-half penalty to secure the crucial victory, sending Mexico goalkeeper Julio Gonzalez the wrong way.

It was the veteran striker's 42nd international goal, extending his record tally for the country having also hit the post earlier in the contest.

Mexico had a huge opportunity to level the match from the spot, but Venezuela keeper Rafael Romo repelled a spot-kick from Orbelin Pineda three minutes from time.

Romo is the seventh keeper, and the first from Venezuela, to save a penalty in the competition since 2011 (excluding shoot-outs). 

"Sometimes we were not in possession of the ball, but we never gave up," Venezuela coach Fernando Batista said. "They give it their all and that makes me very proud."

Mexico play Ecuador in Arizona on Sunday to determine who will progress with Venezuela.

Venezuela will still be targeting at least a point in their last match against Jamaica, as that would ensure they top the group and likely avoid a clash with Argentina in the quarters.

Romo was the star man for Venezuela, making five saves including the penalty, and Mexico can consider themselves unfortunate not to have scored, racking up an expected goals (xG) total of 2.52 from their 18 total shots.

Mexico coach Jaime Lozano said: "If you generate opportunities as we did, if the man of the match is the opponent's goalkeeper, then yes, things weren't as we expected.

"But there are 90 minutes ahead. No one is getting off this ship. And we will make it. I am sure we will make it."

But Ecuador go into that clash with Mexico on a high. They went ahead against Jamaica courtesy of a Kasey Palmer own goal and were two up before the break after Kendry Paez scored from the spot.

Ecuador will be excited about Paez, whose goal at the age of 17 years and 53 days made him the youngest Copa goalscorer since Johnnier Montano, who netted for Colombia against Argentina in 1999 as a 16-year-old. 

Paez attempted the second-most shots (six) by an Ecuador player in a Copa match since Opta began recording this data in 2011. Only Enner Valencia, with seven against Mexico in 2015, has had more attempts in a game.

Jamaica did score their first-ever Copa America goal thanks to West Ham striker Michail Antonio, but Alan Minda made sure of the win for Ecuador by capping a late counter-attack with a goal.

The Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) has suspended the selection of Leon Bailey to the senior men’s national team.

JFF, in a release on Wednesday, said the decision was made following recent incidents, including the Aston Villa winger’s decision not to participate in the Copa America 2024 team after being selected.

The country’s governing football body added that it also considered Bailey’s previous announcement that he wanted to take a break from his national duties as a reason to suspend his selection, as this move would ultimately guard against any further miscommunication.

“The JFF values the contributions of all players and respects their individual decisions regarding national team participation,” the release stated.

Additionally, the JFF revealed that the matter has been referred to David Watt, the newly appointed Chairman of the Disciplinary and Ethics Committee.

United States goalkeeper Matt Turner has urged fans of the Copa America hosts not to forget the value of results ahead of Thursday's clash with Panama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The USA got their Group C campaign up and running with a 2-0 win over Bolivia, with Christian Pulisic and Folarin Balogun on target.

Some believed Gregg Berhalter's side should have recorded a more comprehensive victory as they racked up 20 shots on goal to Bolivia's six.

Nottingham Forest shot-stopper Turner, though, says tournament wins should not be taken for granted.

"We'll never have that luxury. I think you take wins when you can get wins, no matter the context," Turner said.

"You take the result, especially in tournament play, it's the end all be all. I implore people to not lose sight of that.

"Obviously, we wish we did some things better, but that's what tournaments are about. You want to improve and get better throughout the tournament and keep growing as a team, and a bond and a culture.

"At the end of the day, we got a clean sheet, we scored two goals and we won. Going into this next match, we know we might have to be a little bit better if we want to win."

Panama, meanwhile, were beaten 3-1 by Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay in their opening match, with Amir Murrillo netting a late consolation after Maximiliano Araujo, Darwin Nunez and Matias Vina scored for the 15-time winners.

"I think we had too much respect for Uruguay, in the first half there were too many mistakes," head coach Thomas Christiansen said.

"They're a great team that you have to respect, but I think in moments we were afraid of making a mistake.

"In the second half, we showed this team is alive with enthusiasm and desire. Now it's time to make another big effort against the United States before ending with Bolivia."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Panama – Amir Murillo

Murillo netted a late consolation against Uruguay, also recording the most touches (62) and joint-most touches in the penalty area (four, also Jose Fajardo) of any Panama player in their opening match.

That game saw Panama surpass 250 completed passes in a Copa America game for the first time. They will not be pushovers in Atlanta, but if they are to really trouble the hosts, they need wing-back Murillo to contribute in the attacking third.

United States – Christian Pulisic

Pulisic provided a goal and an assist as the USA beat Bolivia in their Group C opener, becoming the first American to score and assist in a single Copa America match since Clint Dempsey did so twice in 2016, versus Ecuador and Costa Rica.

Pulisic averages 0.93 goal contributions per 90 minutes in competitive matches for his country, the highest rate in their history (minimum 1,500 minutes played).

The Milan winger also recorded the most line-breaking passes in the attacking third of any player during Group C's first set of games, with four.  

Until the USA's first match, only Rodrigo De Paul of Argentina had reached that figure in the tournament's opening round of fixtures.

MATCH PREDICTION: UNITED STATES WIN

After beating Bolivia, the USA could start a Copa America tournament with back-to-back victories for the very first time. 

Only once before have they managed successive wins in the competition, winning three games in a row up to the quarter-finals in 2016, as they finished fourth on home soil.

They have never lost or even conceded a goal to CONMEBOL opponents at the Copa America, drawing 0-0 with Mexico in the 1995 quarter-finals before triumphing on penalties, and routing Costa Rica 4-0 in the group stage in 2016.

The USA have only failed to score in one of their previous 19 matches against Panama on home soil, in a goalless draw in New Jersey in the 2005 Gold Cup final, which they won via spot-kicks. 

With home advantage on their side, we expect more joy for the USA on Thursday.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Panama – 22.6%

United States – 54.7%

Draw – 22.7%

Lionel Messi has revealed he played through discomfort in his right hamstring as Argentina beat Chile 1-0 in their second match at the Copa America on Tuesday.

Lautaro Martinez came off the bench to score an 88th-minute winner as the world champions secured qualification for the quarter-finals with one match to spare.

Messi failed to score for a second successive game at the tournament, only recording one shot worth 0.02 expected goals (xG), though he did create a game-high five chances for his team-mates.

The eight-time Ballon d'Or winner also led all players on the pitch for passes in the final third (18) and completed seven of his 11 attempted dribbles – both match-high figures.

Boss Lionel Scaloni has now been handed a major worry, however, with Messi revealing he played through the pain barrier.

"I felt some discomfort in my right hamstring at the beginning of the game. It was tight." Messi said. 

"It wasn't as loose as it should've been, but I was able to finish the game. We'll see how it goes."

Messi could get a rest when Argentina face Peru in their final Group A match on Saturday, though, with only a point required to secure top spot.

Scaloni said: "Against Peru, the guys who didn't get minutes in these matches will play."

As Jamaica’s senior Reggae Boyz eye their pivotal Copa America clash against Ecuador, Head Coach Heimir Hallgrimsson has expressed a blend of cautious optimism and strategic focus, as they chase history in the Group B fixture at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, on Wednesday.

The 53rd-ranked Jamaicans are hunting their first goal, first point and, by extension, first victory in three appearances at the prestigious CONMEBOL tournament, a feat they will be hoping to achieve against the 30-ranked Ecuadorians to bounce back from a 0-1 defeat to Mexico in their opening fixture.

Kickoff is 5:00pm Jamaica time.

A victory would keep Hallgrimsson’s side in the hunt for one of the top two spots to the knockout stage. However, that is easier said than done, and despite their gallant effort against Mexico in Saturday’s defeat, Ecuador represents a different challenge, one which Hallgrimsson knows they can by no means scoff at even though their opponents also suffered a 1-2 loss to Venezuela in their opening encounter.

“It's going to be a tough match. Really a tough match,” Hallgrimsson stressed.

“They (Ecuador) came into this group for the media as favorites and have done brilliant in terms of their results prior to the tournament. A tough team to beat is a tough team to play against, and like I said, they have managed to get good results against the biggest teams in South America, and it's always low scoring matches. They conceded two goals, against Venezuela, but this was after they had been playing one man down for close to 50 minutes,” he noted.

“So the reason why Venezuela scored two goals was probably down to fatigue, and we need to be aware of that. We cannot go all in and concede a goal because it's difficult to get back against a team like Ecuador and Venezuela. So we need to be careful, but we need to be brave as well at the same time. It needs to be a calculated risk that we take,” the Icelandic coach added.

Though Jamaica and Ecuador have crossed swords in international friendlies on four occasions, this will be their first Copa America meeting. It should be noted that Jamaica has never defeated Ecuador, which means Wednesday’s contest takes on added significance for Hallgrimsson’s side to possibly achieve two significant milestones in one go.

But, again, that is easier said than done, as in their four meetings to date, Ecuador has won three, while the other ended in a stalemate. The last encounter between the two, in 2018, ended 2-0 in favour of the South Americans.

Across those four games, Jamaica has only scored three goals, while Ecuador tallied nine. With all the stats lining up against the Boyz, Hallgrimsson highlighted the importance of maintaining a balanced approach.

“We had a good game against Mexico the players performed well, but we just didn’t win. We are the underdogs in the group so we just want to show the same performance against Ecuador and see what it brings us. Hopefully it will bring us three points, but certainly we want to build on the performance against Mexico because we really are doing everything to stay in this tournament, I believe we have the squad to do that and so that is the focus,” Hallgrimsson declared.

Despite his familiarity with Ecuadorian counterpart Felix Sanchez, Hallgrimsson pointed out that it offers very little comfort.

“I know Felix so I know what kind of football they will play, and of course we have analysed them really well. They are really aggressive and physical and they have a strong midfield, but I think it’s the energy and commitment of this Ecuador team that is going to be the trickiest thing for us. Like I said they lost their first game as well which puts them under pressure so I know they are going to be more intense against us,” he opined.

Still, the tactician expressed delight that the Boyz are in high spirit with every player eager to give their best.

“Everybody's fit and ready, and that's a good sign. Normally, the first game causes some injuries after a long break for some players, but everybody's fresh. Everybody wants to play big games for Jamaica, so everybody's fighting for a spot in the team, and that's a good and healthy sign for us,” Hallgrimsson ended. 

Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni will prioritise balance throughout the Copa America, with Lautaro Martinez pushing for a start after scoring twice from the bench.

Having come on to add Argentina's second goal in a 2-0 win over Canada last week, Martinez struck an 88th-minute winner in Tuesday's 1-0 victory over Chile.

Martinez's three competitive goals off the bench for Argentina are more than any other player has managed for the team since his international debut in 2018.

The Inter man's impact has led to suggestions he could edge out Julian Alvarez to start alongside Lionel Messi, but Scaloni will select his number nine on a game-by-game basis.

"Lautaro and Julian have played together," Scaloni said. "There's always the need for balance. 

"Lautaro is very happy today, and Julian is too. I will always choose the one that I think is best suited for that match.

"Today Julian played, but we have 11 players. We have to balance the gameplan.

"Sometimes there might be a disruption of that balance for any reason, but usually, I like playing with a good structure. We will be making choices throughout the tournament."

Argentina have secured their place in the quarter-finals with a game to spare and will top Group A if they avoid defeat against Peru on Saturday.

Despite overseeing a perfect start to the Albiceleste's title defence, Scaloni has been questioned for not calling upon Alejandro Garnacho, who has been an unused substitute in both matches after enjoying a breakout campaign with Manchester United.

"We would love to see him because he is young and he is a fresh player," Scaloni said of the winger. 

"Sometimes we think that given the match, we could send him in. But then as the match evolves, we think maybe it is not the right match.

"Hopefully when we give the young players the opportunity, they will be able to seize it."

Lautaro Martinez struck a late winner as Argentina beat Chile 1-0 to secure their place in the Copa America knockout stages with a game to spare.

The reigning champions looked like they would have to settle for a point on a frustrating night at the MetLife Stadium, having failed to turn their superiority into the game's opening goal.

But substitute Martinez, who also netted from the bench in his nation's opener against Canada, finally broke Chile's resolve when he lashed home two minutes from time.

It moved Lionel Scaloni's side onto six points at the Group A summit, three points ahead of Canada, who beat Peru 1-0 earlier in the day. A draw against Peru in their final game will now be enough to secure top spot.

Argentina dominated the first half with 13 unanswered shots, yet just three of those were on target. One of them saw Julian Alvarez fire straight at Claudio Bravo from close range in the 22nd minute.

Lionel Messi also went close to scoring in the 36th minute. La Albiceleste's skipper let fly with a fizzing 25-yard attempt that clipped the outside of Bravo's left post, while Erick Pulgar almost turned Nahuel Molina's cross beyond the Chile goalkeeper two minutes later.

La Roja had Bravo to thank for keeping Argentina at bay, as the reigning champions continued to carry the greater attacking threat after the break.

The veteran stopper beat away Molina's fierce strike within five minutes of the restart, and just after the hour mark, he produced a superb reflex save to tip Nicolas Gonzalez's drive onto the crossbar.

With the breakthrough still eluding the world champions, Scaloni bolstered his attack by introducing Angel Di Maria and Martinez for the final 17 minutes.

Chile had increased their own attacking threat by registering their first attempts on goal in the contest, with Rodrigo Echeverria calling Emiliano Martinez into action on both occasions.

Yet, there was to be a late twist in Argentina's favour when an 88th-minute corner broke kindly for Martinez, who reacted quickest to fire into the roof of the net and send La Albiceleste through to the quarter-finals.

Persistence pays dividends for Argentina

The history books would have suggested Argentina should have fancied their chances against Chile.

This is epitomised by the fact they are now unbeaten after 90 minutes in the last 13 meetings, winning eight of those, but that does not tell the full story.

Seven of those eight victories have only been by a single-goal margin and, of course, they lost on penalties in the Copa America final showdowns of 2015 and 2016.

Though they dominated most of this contest and registered 22 shots to their opponents' three, just the one goal was enough once more, with both of Martinez's strikes from the bench in this competition coming in the 88th minute.

Argentina progress to the Copa America knockout stages for a 14th consecutive time, excluding when they withdrew from the 2001 tournament.

Toothless Roja see resistance broken

Chile looked set to frustrate Argentina once again at the Copa America and hold out for a second successive clean sheet.

Their defensive resolve - along with an inspired performance by Bravo between the sticks - looked like it would remain firm and keep the reigning champions at bay, until Martinez's late intervention.

What will be more concerning for La Roja is the fact they have now gone four successive Copa America matches without scoring, while having to wait until the 72nd minute for their first attempt on goal.

That is something they need to address quickly ahead of their crucial final Group A clash with Canada, in which a victory could still see them snatch second place and a quarter-final spot.

Lautaro Martinez struck a dramatic late winner as Argentina beat Chile 1-0 to secure their place in the Copa America knockout stages with a game to spare.

The reigning champions looked like they would have to settle for a point on a frustrating night at the MetLife Stadium, having failed to turn their superiority into the game's opening goal.

But substitute Martinez, who also netted from the bench in his nation's opener against Canada, finally broke Chile's resolve when he lashed home two minutes from time.

It moved Lionel Scaloni's side onto six points at the Group A summit - three points ahead of Canada, who beat Peru 1-0 earlier in the day - meaning a draw against Peru in their final game will be enough to secure top spot.

Argentina dominated the first half with 13 unanswered shots, yet just three of those were on target. One of them saw Julian Alvarez fire straight at Claudio Bravo from close range in the 22nd minute.

Lionel Messi also went close to scoring in the 36th minute. La Albiceleste's skipper let fly with a fizzing 25-yard attempt that clipped the outside of Bravo's left post, while Erick Pulgar almost turned Nahuel Molina's cross beyond the Chile goalkeeper two minutes later.

La Roja had Bravo to thank for keeping Argentina at bay, as the reigning champions continued to carry the greater attacking threat after the break.

The veteran stopper beat away Molina's fierce strike within five minutes of the restart, and just after the hour mark, he produced a superb reflex save to tip Nicolas Gonzalez's drive onto the crossbar.

With the breakthrough still eluding the world champions, Scaloni bolstered his attack by introducing Angel Di Maria and Martinez for the final 17 minutes.

Chile had increased their own attacking threat by registering their first attempts on goal in the contest, with Rodrigo Echeverria calling Emiliano Martinez into action on both occasions.

Yet, there was to be a late twist in Argentina's favour when an 88th-minute corner broke kindly for Martinez, who reacted the quickest to fire into the roof of the net and send La Albiceleste through to the quarter-finals.

Persistence pays dividends for Argentina

The recent history books would suggest Argentina should fancy their chances against Chile.

This is epitomised by the fact they are now unbeaten after 90 minutes in the last 13 meetings, winning eight of those, but that does not tell the full story.

Seven of those eight victories have only been by a single-goal margin and, of course, they lost on penalties in the Copa America final showdowns of 2015 and 2016.

Though they dominated most of this contest and registered 22 shots to their opponents' three, just the one goal was enough once more - with both of Martinez's strikes from the bench in this competition coming in the 88th minute.

Argentina progress to the Copa America knockout stages for a 14th consecutive time, excluding when they withdrew from the 2001 tournament.

Toothless La Roja resistance finally broken

Chile looked set to frustrate Argentina once again at the Copa America, and hold out for a second successive clean sheet.

Their defensive resolve - along with an inspired performance by Bravo between the sticks - looked like it would remain firm and keep the reigning champions at bay, until Martinez's late intervention.

What will be more concerning for La Roja is the fact they have now gone four successive Copa America matches without scoring, while having to wait until the 72nd minute for their first attempt on goal today.

That is something they need to address quickly ahead of their crucial final Group A clash with Canada, in which a victory could still see them snatch second place and a quarter-final spot.

Alphonso Davies revelled in Canada's first ever Copa America victory, insisting he and his team-mates will savour their narrow 1-0 win over 10-man Peru.

Jonathan David scored the only goal in Kansas as Jesse Marsch's side boosted their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages from Group A.

The Lille striker struck 16 minutes from time to move the Canucks up to second place behind reigning champions Argentina, who beat them 2-0 in their opener, with 26 of his 27 international goals coming in competitive matches.

It gave Canada only their third victory over a South American opponent, and first since a 2-0 win over Colombia in the 2000 Gold Cup final.

They also kept their first clean sheet against a team from the CONMEBOL region since holding Brazil to a goalless draw in the 2001 Confederations Cup.

"We're going to enjoy the moment, but know the work isn't done," skipper Davies told Canadian broadcaster TSN.

Stephen Eustaquio added: "We were too naive in the first half, but played more direct in the second half."

Canada's first Copa America victory came in their second match, with Panama the only CONCACAF nation to achieve their maiden win in their opening match in the competition - doing so eight years ago.

Marsch's side face Chile in their final group encounter on Saturday, when a draw may be enough to take them through to the quarter-finals.

"We have everything to fight for in the last game," David told TSN.

Vinicius Junior acknowledged that he and his team-mates must improve following their goalless draw with Costa Rica in their opening game of the Copa America. 

The nine-time champions were frustrated by their opponents at the SoFi Stadium, with Los Ticos becoming only the third CONCACAF side to keep a clean sheet against the Selecao Canarinho at the tournament after Mexico (2001 and 2007) and Honduras (2001).

Brazil registered 19 attempts at Patrick Sequeira's goal, but only three were on target, with Rodrygo (6) and Lucas Paqueta (5) having the majority of those chances. 

Vinicius failed to make an impact on proceedings in Los Angeles and was replaced by future Real Madrid team-mate Endrick for the final 20 minutes. 

The 23-year-old has now been substituted in Brazil's last six competitive matches and knows Dorival Junior's side must improve to achieve success at the tournament. 

"We know we can improve, we have to improve," Vinícius said. "I also know what I can improve, evolve and do for our team."

Vinicius, who scored 24 goals in 39 appearances for Los Blancos this season, arrived at the tournament with the weight of a nation on his shoulders with all-time leading scorer Neymar, out of the Copa America due to injury. 

The Real Madrid winger has registered just one assist in his last five appearances for his nation, but has called for patience from the Brazil fans. 

"New coach, new players, everything takes time," Vinícius said. "Our fans want everything immediately done, but we're going little by little. In the next game, I'm sure we'll play much better because we now already understand what the competition will be like, what the pitch, what the referees will be like.

"Every time I enter the field for the national team, I have three or four players marking me."

Brazil face Paraguay in Las Vegas on Saturday before concluding their Group D campaign against Colombia, who beat the Albirroja on Matchday 1. 

For Shamar Nicholson, Jamaica's senior Reggae Boyz 1-0 loss to Mexico in their Copa America opener was a bittersweet occasion, as that encounter marked his 50th international appearance for the country.

Though Nicholson would have loved to celebrate the significant milestone in victory, but it was not to be. As such, he was left ruing what could have been, as he reflected on his career journey which started at Trench Town High school, blossomed at Boys' Town Football Club, and he is now bearing fruit as one of Jamaica's top-rated strikers.

Across those 50 games, Nicholson has so far tallied 19 goals and won three medals –silver and the 2017 Caribbean Cup and Concacaf Gold Cup, and an historic bronze at 2023-24 Concacaf Nations League.

"Yeah, it was special moment," Nicholson declared in a recent interview with Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) media.

"It's just a pity that we didn't get to win to make it more special, but it was a proud moment for me and my family, my friends, coaching staff, and everyone, who have supported me along the way during bad time and good time. So it was really a proud moment," he added.

Shamar Nicholson (right) and rising sensation Keheim Dixon.

Nicholson’s rise to becoming one of Jamaica's key players has been marked by determination and hard work. Though a man of few words, the 27-year-old's achievements on the international stage is a testament to his dedication and talent, as his true personality comes to light when the ball is at his feet.

Since making his debut in 2017, the towering striker has become a mainstay in the senior Reggae Boyz team, especially giving his scoring prowess and physical presence on the field, which makes him a constant threat to opponents.

In fact, it is for that reason why Nicholson has made the rounds at clubs in Slovenia, Belgium, Russia and now France. In Slovenia he scored 18 goals for Domzale, and later tallied 30 goals for Belgian outfit Charleroi. He later moved to Spartak Moscow, where he had eight goals and won the Russian Cup, before being loaned out to French Ligue 1 side Clermont, where has four goals to date.

Each league and club offered a different challenge, but for Nicholson, the experiences were worthwhile contributions to his development.

"Yes, I will say culture wise (France and Belgium are somewhat similar), but I think it was also a good experience, you know, because the level is high and really physical, and it also challenges you mentally. So I think it was a good experience and I learned a lot," Nicholson shared.

Despite the defeat to Mexico in keen contest where Michail Antonio had a goal ruled out for offside and the Boyz generally squandered a few good half chances.

While that result was not in their favour, Nicholson believes there were positives to take from the game, and, as such, he remains optimistic and focused on the challenges ahead, particularly the upcoming clash against Ecuador.

Shamar Nicholson celebrates with Reggae Boyz teammates.

He emphasized the importance of staying positive and focused, as the Heimir Hallgrimsson-coached Boyz hunt an historic first goal and, by extension, point at the prestigious Copa America tournament 

The Reggae Boyz have shown in previous tournaments that they can bounce back from setbacks, and Nicholson is confident they will do so again. Hallgrimsson’s side is currently at the foot of Group B without a point, a statistic they could very well change with victory over Ecuador on Wednesday at Allegiant Stadium.

They will then close out the group stage against current leaders Venezuela on Sunday.

“The vibe is right, you know, everyone is positive despite the loss (against Mexico), and we all have a positive mindset. So, it's just to take things step by step. You know, we prepare in training, so it's just to go there and believe, and I think we're ready for that game,” Nicholson ended.

James Rodriguez sees plenty of room for improvement for Colombia despite overcoming Paraguay in their Copa America opener, in which he laid on two assists.

Colombia sit top of Group D after the opening round of matches, with Crystal Palace duo Daniel Munoz and Jefferson Lerma netting in a 2-1 win in Houston and Brazil later failing to join them on three points as they drew 0-0 with Costa Rica.

Former Real Madrid man Rodriguez teed up both of his team's goals, becoming the first player to assist twice in a Copa America group-stage match since Peru's Andre Carrillo in 2019 (versus Chile). Rodriguez now has 30 assists in 101 career games for his country, with five of those coming in the Copa America. 

He also led all Colombia players for chances created (three), passes in the final third (17) and crosses (10), as well as ranking second for touches (80) and passes completed (53), both behind Davinson Sanchez (81, 55).

The victory made them just the fourth CONMEBOL team to record nine straight wins across all competitions, after Brazil (12 times), Argentina (three) and Peru (once).

However, Colombia did not have things all their own way as Paraguay attempted more shots (12 to 11) and created a higher expected goals figure (0.82 xG to 0.63), leading Rodriguez to call for more.

"I am very happy, it was very important to start well today against a tough opponent like Paraguay," he told reporters after Monday's victory.

"In the second half we could have done better, but things are corrected better when the team wins, it's all much easier."

The NRG Stadium, home to the NFL's Houston Texans, was a sea of yellow for the game as Colombian fans packed into the venue, leaving Rodriguez awestruck. 

"It's beautiful, they are supporting us a lot," he said of the huge Colombian contingent. "There is still a long way to go and we are going to go game by game."

Colombia go to Phoenix for their second match against Costa Rica on Friday, before taking on Brazil next Tuesday at San Francisco's Levi's Stadium. 

Dorival Junior bemoaned a lack of end product after Brazil were frustrated in a goalless draw with Costa Rica in their Copa America opener on Monday.

Despite enjoying 73.5% of the possession and firing off 19 shots to their opponents' two, Brazil failed to win their first game at a Copa America for the first time since 2016.

The Selecao's 49 final-third entries throughout the match were the joint-most since such data began being recorded in 2011, alongside their own tally versus Paraguay in 2019, yet they only registered a paltry three shots on target.

The result means Brazil have lost early ground on Colombia, who lead Group D following their 2-1 win over Paraguay earlier on Monday.

Speaking after the game, Dorival said: "We rotated the ball well, went from side to side and got our attackers one-versus-one. 

"We have a smaller field and that makes it easier for those who defend and difficult for those who attack. Vini received the ball with two men on him and a third approaching. 

"We tried with Savio and were successful in some moments. The detail and definition were lacking, but freedom was given, everyone had the opportunity. 

"We lacked some in-depth moves. It was the aspect that we intensified the most in training, this dirty work to find space between the opposing lines.

"Our ball recovery was impressive. In my opinion, what was missing too much was that we failed to do this job of spreading the opponent's backline more."

Vinicius Junior endured an underwhelming performance, being replaced by future Real Madrid team-mate Endrick with 71 minutes gone after failing to record a single shot and only managing five touches in the Costa Rica area.

Asked about the decision to withdraw the winger, who shone as Madrid won a Champions League and LaLiga double in 2023-24, Dorival said: "We put him on the side, on the inside, we didn't find the way with either. 

"He was well marked and we had to look for a solution, to make a change. 

"I believe the game was well played within a context. We played closely, we created good chances, but we weren't happy with the finishing. 

"The games will be like this, we have to find ways to improve. It is natural that if the result does not come, questions arise, but I know what we are developing."