Brazil cruise past Peru with 4-0 Copa America win
RIO DE JANEIRO (Reuters) - With Neymar in fine form and scoring a goal that took him past Ronaldo on the country's all-time goals list, Brazil scored early in the game and then got three more in a commanding second half to defeat Peru 4-0 in their Copa America clash on Thursday.
The result means Brazil are the first team in the tournament to win both their first games, and immediately go to the top of Group B, two points ahead of Colombia, who drew 0-0 with Venezuela earlier in the day.
The reigning champions won their opener 3-0 against Venezuela on Sunday but although coach Tite rotated their lineup, giving starts to Ederson, Alex Sandro, Thiago Silva, Everton and Gabriel Barbosa, it still took them only 12 minutes to get the opener when Alex Sandro volleyed home a cut back from Gabriel Jesus.
Peru, who reached the final of the last Copa America only to lose 3-1 to Brazil, were not overawed but they simply could not match a team who were sharper, quicker and more resilient.
The Paris St Germain player had a penalty award cancelled after a consultation with the Video Assistant Referee but he was not to be denied and when his marker gave him too much space a moment later when he fired a low shot past a despairing Pedro Gallese from just outside the box.
It was Neymar's fourth goal in Brazil's last four matches and his 68th overall, taking him one past Ronaldo on Brazil's all-time goalscoring chart. "It's obviously a great honour for me to be part of the Brazil team's history," a tearful Neymar said.
Brazil have won the Copa America every time they hosted the tournament and they look strong again this year, with the win at Rio’s Olympic stadium their ninth in a row. They scored 26 goals in that run and have conceded only two.