Held to a draw by Colombia (1-1) on Tuesday in their last group stage match, Brazil will have to play their quarter-final against Uruguay without Vinicius, who is suspended for the match.
Brazil will have to play without Vinicius for their Copa America quarter-final against Uruguay. Held to a 1-1 draw by Colombia on Tuesday, the Seleçao failed to show an attractive face and finished second in their group. The Real Madrid striker will miss the next match due to suspension.
Already cautioned in the tournament against Paraguay, where he scored a double (4-1), Vinicius received a yellow card for a small blow to the face of James Rodriguez (7th). The former AS Monaco player had tried to do a sombrero blow to his opponent, who therefore stopped him in his own way.
“It’s very difficult to replace him”
Brazil captain Danilo regretted the absence of Vinicius, who “can win games”. “But we rely on the group, we have other players with a lot of quality,” the Juventus defender told the local press. “We will try to compensate for his absence in one way or another and make sure we beat Uruguay.”
Endrick, the future Real Madrid player, could take advantage of this suspension to join the team. “It’s very difficult to replace him because he’s Vini,” said the 17-year-old forward. Not having him is very difficult. But the 26 players who came can play, they are prepared. No matter who comes on, he will always do his best.”
The quarter-final will take place on Saturday in Santa Clara (California). For its part, Marcelo Bielsa’s Uruguay has three wins. Beaten in the final by Argentina in the last edition in 2021, Brazil faces criticism at home for the way it played. The Seleçao’s last victory in the competition dates back to 2019.
