Alexandre Pato and Neymar scored two goals each as defending champions Brazil hit form with a 4-2 win over Ecuador to secure a Copa America quarterfinals spot.
|Last Updated: Jul 14, 2011, 10:06 AM IST|Source: Bureau
Cordoba: Alexandre Pato and Neymar scored two goals each as defending champions Brazil hit form with a 4-2 win over Ecuador to secure a Copa America quarterfinals spot.
Brazil finished atop Group B and advanced to a knockout match against Paraguay. Ecuador was eliminated.
Pato scored with a header in the 28th minute and a close-range shot in the 60th, while Neymar netted from inside the area in the 48th and 76th.
Striker Felipe Caicedo scored for Ecuador in the 37th and 58th.
"It was the type of match we needed," Pato said. "It was like a final to us and we had to win it no matter what. We did it and advanced in first place, which is what we wanted."
Brazil was coming off draws against Venezuela and Paraguay in the group stage and needed at least a draw to keep alive its hopes for a third straight title in the South American championship. Host Argentina had also been in danger of being eliminated in the group stage before beating Costa Rica 3-0 on Monday to advance.
"It was our best performance in the tournament," Brazil coach Mano Menezes said. "We are going to be facing Paraguay with the same respect we played them the first time. Now there is no time recover, we need to win against every opponent."
Brazil ended with five points, equal with Venezuela but ahead on goal differential. Paraguay, which allowed two late goals in a draw with the Venezuelans earlier on yesterday, advanced with three points as one of the two best third-place teams in the three groups."We played with that will to win," Pato said. "Everybody expects Brazil to always play a great match but it`s very hard, all teams want to beat the Selecao and today it wasn`t different. Now it`s time to get back to work. It`s a new Copa America."
Brazil played better yesterday than in its previous two matches and controlled the action at the Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes. Ecuador didn`t make it easy, however, and threatened when it had the ball in attack, especially with Caicedo.
"We leave hurting a little," Caicedo said. "We had the character to equalise two times, but we lacked focus at the end. We gave too many spaces to Brazil and that can`t happen."
With right back Maicon playing well in his debut in the Copa America after replacing Daniel Alves in the starting lineup, Brazil was able to keep the ball for most of the match and created more scoring opportunities.
"The plays happened and we had some very good moments during the match," left back Andre Santos said. "We have to build on what worked and improve even more for Sunday (against Paraguay)."Neymar, who had struggled in the first two matches, fired dangerous long-range shot over the crossbar just two minutes into the match, and a minute later defender Thiago Silva`s header off a corner just missed wide.
Pato`s header opened the scoring. Left back Andre Santos crossed the ball into the area and the AC Milan striker came rushing in to firmly nod it into the right corner of Ecuador goalkeeper Marcelo Ramon Elizaga`s net.
Robinho, back in the starting lineup after being benched against Paraguay, had a chance to increase Brazil`s lead after a perfect pass by Maicon in the 36th, but his hard shot from inside the area hit the right post.
PTI
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.