PASADENA, Calif. – The match between Brazil and Ecuador didn’t lack drama, but there was one thing lacking—goals.
The two South American sides played to a scoreless draw in front of 53,158 yellow-clad fans at the Rose Bowl. Six yellow cards were issued in a match that grew cagey as the game wore on.
The draw is Ecuador’s first point against Brazil in five Copa America matches, and La Tri’s first draw in 14 Copa America matches between the two teams.
The first half featured end-to-end action between the two sides as both nations pushed for the opening goal. Philippe Coutinho nearly gave Brazil the opener five minutes into the match with a close-range chance that was denied at point-blank range by Ecuador goalkeeper Esteban Dreer.
Ecuador nearly broke the deadlock in the 63rd minute when former Chivas USA Miller Bolaños launched a shot from the end line that bounced off Brazilian goalkeeper Alison and into the net. However, assistant referee Carlos Astroza negated the goal, judging that the ball was out of bounds when Bolaños fired the shot.
As the second half wore on, the both teams pushed for the goal, but were undone by poor finishing. In the closing minutes, Filipe Luis came the closest to putting the Selecao ahead when his header narrowly went wide left of the Ecuadorian net for the final opportunity of the match.
Brazil returns to action on June 8 when they face Haiti in Orlando, Ecuador will take on Peru on June 8 in Phoenix.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
