Bruno Guimaraes left devastated


 
 
 
 
 
 

Bruno Guimaraes starting as usual for Brazil on Saturday night (early hours of Sunday in UK time)

The match at the Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, normally a venue for American Football, home of the Las Vegas Raiders.

Their final group stage game, saw Brazil draw 1-1 with Colombia in a match that was widely seen as the best of the Copa America tournament so far.

This quarter-final clash against Uruguay will be remembered for very different reasons.

Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds were a joy to watch, Bielsa’s Uruguay not quite so much, certainly not on this evidence.

This brutal clash saw 41 fouls and an incredible 26 of them were committed by Uruguay. No wonder there was so little time for football and creating clear chances.

The referee blew up for plenty of fouls, every couple of minutes on average, however, not so keen on producing cards. The two teams somehow only picked up two yellows each, whilst it took a horrendous challenge/assault by Nandez on Rodrygo to produce the sole red card for Uruguay on 74 minutes, though even that took VAR intervention to upgrade from yellow to red!

Bruno Guimaraes was excellent and Brazil’s man of the match, he didn’t shy away from the physical stuff and was in the thick of it for his team, but also involved in pretty much anything positive that Brazil did as well.

Uruguay managed only one tame effort on target all match and Brazil was not much better with three, not a game for the purists. Playing on a significantly smaller American football-sized pitch probably not helping, as space is so limited, and easier for negativity to rule with less space to play in.

The suspended Vinicius Jnr was undoubtedly a miss for Brazil going forward.

Penalties began to look inevitable some time out and with no extra-time to be played, the final whistle of normal time would see it go straight to a spot-kick shootout.

This was a 64th match for Bruno Guimaraes inside 12 months for club and country, so from a Newcastle United point of view a bonus that the NUFC talisman will have a week’s bonus recovery time before he joins pre-season on Tyneside.

However, sad to see Bruno Guimaraes looking so devastated as Uruguay won 4-2 on penalties, after the game ended goalless.

The Newcastle United man had given everything and one of two very late subs with three minutes to go as Brazil desperately tried to get a late winner and avoid penalties. Bruno Guimaraes spared the pressure of taking one of those spot-kicks that eventually decided this very physical encounter.

Final score: Brazil 0 Uruguay 0 (Uruguay win 4-2 on penalties)

Brazil player ratings via Goal:

Alisson (6/10)

Danilo (6/10)

Eder Militao (4/10)

Marquinhos (5/10)

Guilherme Arana (6/10)

Joao Gomes (5/10)

Bruno Guimaraes (7/10):

Up for the fight, got away with a number of fouls, one of the few to look after the ball reliably.

Lucas Paqueta (5/10)

Rodrygo (7/10)

Endrick (6/10)

Raphinha (6/10)

Copa America semi-finals

Argentina v Canada

Colombia v Uruguay

Newcastle United players on Copa America duty:

Monday 24 June 2024

Colombia 2 Paraguay 1 (Copa America Group match)

Miguel Almiron and Paraguay were very unlucky against one of the favourites to win the tournament.

Paraguay went two down by the break due to poorly defended headed goals, then pulled one back in the second half but was unable to get the equaliser they deserved.

The final stats showed that Paraguay had more overall shots (12 v 11), the same number on target (3 v 3) and the same number of corners (3-3). Only when it came to putting the ball in the net, did Colombia edge it.

Tuesday 25 June 2024

Brazil 0 Costa Rica 0 (Copa America Group match)

Chance after chance went by for those playing in front of Bruno Guimaraes, who has a generally more disciplined deeper role to play for his national side. The Newcastle midfielder with a very good personal performance.

Marquinhos saw a goal ruled out via one of those very marginal VAR offside calls, whilst Paqueta saw a rocket of a shot come back off the post.

Costa Rica struggled to even get out of their half and the final stats showed Brazil with 19 v 2 in terms of overall shots and 9 v 1 on corners.

Bruno Guimaraes almost won it himself late on, his effort from just inside the box, clearing the angle of the goal by a very small margin.

Friday 28 June 2024

Paraguay 1 Brazil  4 (Copa America Group match)

Both Newcastle United players performed well but the end result means Paraguay was eliminated and Brazil is all but certain of going through as at least group runners-up.

In their goalless opener, Brazil had 19 shots compared to two for Costa Rica, this time it was 17 for Brazil and 15 for Paraguay. The two teams having had six each on target. Whilst possession was only 55% and 45% in Brazil’s favour.

Brazil’s attacking players had been guilty of not taking their chances but this time four of their six on-target found the back of the net.

Tuesday 2 July 2024

Costa Rica 2 Paraguay 1 (Copa America Group match)

A very disappointing night to finish his Copa America campaign, as Miguel Almiron was one of a couple of Paraguay players subbed at half-time with their side 2-0 down.

A case yet again of not taking their chances, as Costa Rica scored with their only two shots of the game in the opening seven minutes, whilst Paraguay had 17 shots of their own with six of them on target, but just a 55th minute consolation goal.

After a rest, Miguel Almiron will be back at Newcastle United for pre-season training, or if media speculation is true, off to a new club, with the Saudi Pro-League seemingly most likely.

Brazil 1 Colombia 1 (Copa America Group match)

Excellent performance from Bruno Guimaraes in a feisty encounter. Four players booked in the opening 27 minutes and the Newcastle midfielder booked himself late on.

Declared the best game of the tournament so far, both teams really went for it and Raphina scored a class free-kick on 12 minutes, only for a Munoz equaliser just before the break.

Along with Argentina and Colombia, Brazil looking one of the three teams most fancied to win the Copa America, however, a tough quarter-final match ahead for Bruno and his teammates against Uruguay. Made more difficult due to a second booking of the tournament for Vinicius Jnr that rules him out of Friday’s match.

Friday 6 July 2024 (Copa America quarter-final)

Brazil 0 Uruguay 0 (Uruguay win 4-2 on penalties)

Bruno Guimaraes man of the match for Brazil but a brutal encounter of very few chances seeing Uruguay go through on penalties. The Newcastle United man subbed with only three minutes to go as Brazil desperately tried for a late winner.

Sunday 14 July 2024 – Copa America final