Brazil does not score and draws without goals against Venezuela

Unlike 1999, when Brazil debuted against Venezuela and scored seven times, the team five times world champion failed to break through the blockade of Venezuela. In the first half, Brazil had several chances to open the score, but does not reap any of them. A

 second part uninspired took over the Brazilian team and the game ended 0-0.

The first half had only one team in the attack. Brazil started with a very hark marker style, pressing Venezuela, and thereby decreasing the space of the opponent. Early on, the promise Neymar made a nice move, left three Venezuelans back and passed to Alexandre Pato, who missed the first chance of the game. At 26’, Pato created a beautiful scoring chance, after receive a fine pass inside the area and hit the crossbar. He would make the goalkeeper Vega to do a fine defense.

Robinho, at 38’, had the best chance of the first half after the great assistance of Neymar. The Brazilian striker came face to face, and kicked the ball to score and the defender Oswaldo Vizcarrondo saved with his shoulder the certain goal. Brazil still had another attack, at the last minute of the first half, after a beautiful pass of Ganso, Neymar was caught and could not score the first goal in the competition.

The second had half less chances than the first, with Venezuela trying more in the attack. At 54’, Dani Alves left Pato in good condition, but the keeper reached first. Then, Venezuela was the one who had the best two chances in two dangerous shots.

The Brazilian coach Mano Menezes changed the team searching for their first goal, putting Fred, Lucas Silva and Elano, in the output of Robinho, Pato and Ramires. With no result, the game ended goalless. In the next round of Group B, Brazil will face Paraguay on Saturday (9) in Cordoba. Venezuela will play against Ecuador, also Saturday, in the city of Salta.

BRAZIL 0 X 0 VENEZUELA

Stadium: Stadium Único de La Plata, La Plata, Argentina; Referee: Raúl Orosco (BOL); Yellow Card: Thiago Silva (37’) (Brazil); Salomón Rondón (61’), César González (62’), Alejandro Moreno (93’) (Venezuela)

BRAZIL: 1-Júlio César, 2-Daniel Alves, 3-Lúcio, 4-Thiago Silva, 6-André Santos, 5-Lucas Leiva, 8-Ramires (16-Elano, 75’), 10-Paulo Henrique Ganso, 7-Robinho (19-Fred, 63’), 9-Alexandre Pato (18-Lucas Silva, 75’) and 11-Neymar. Coach: Mano Menezes.

VENEZUELA: 1-Renny Vega, 16-Roberto Rosales, 20-Grenddy Perozo, 4-Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, 6-Gabriel Cichero, 8-Tomás Rincón, 14-Franklin Lucena, 11-César González (5-Giácomo Di Giorgi, 86’), 18-Juan Arango, 7-Miku (9-Giancarlo Maldonado, 77’) and 23-Salomón Rondón (15-Alejandro Moreno, 63’). Coach: César Farias.