Brazil made a tame entrance into the Copa America on Sunday night, missing a host of chances in a goalless draw with ultra-minnows Venezuela at the Estadio Unico in La Plata, outside Buenos Aires.
The five-times world champions had chances, Milan’s Pato notably hitting the woodwork early on. But the longed-for samba football never arrived and it was soon apparent there would be no repeat of the 7-0 thumping of Venezuela in a 1999 group opener where Ronaldo and co. ran riot.
In the other match Sunday, Paraguay and Ecuador also played to a 0-0 draw at the Brigadier General Estanislao Lopez stadium in Santa Fe.
Before Sunday, Brazil had also won all five previous meetings between the two nations in the competition, scoring 25 goals for just one conceded.
But the baseball-loving Vene-zuelans have come on since then by leaps and bounds and the only South American country never to make it to the World Cup even managed a 0-0 draw in Brazil during the 2010 World Cup qualifiers.
Selecao coach Mano Menezes admitted the outcome was disappointing.
“In the first half we had chances but in the second it was different. We were generally a bit lacking and Venezuela worked like Trojans,” he admitted afterwards.
Brazil now go on to face Paraguay on Saturday in Cordoba and Menezes said that “that will be another game.”
Counterpart Cesar Farias was delighted with a battling showing.
“It’s historic in terms of the Copa America. Brazil played well but we deserve praise for holding them,” said Farias.
“When we had the chance to play a bit we did and when we had to defend like gladiators we did that too.”
Menezes sent out an attack-minded line-up, led by Santos’s precocious talents Neymar and Paulo Henrique Ganso, who arrived at the event fresh from winning the Copa Libertadores, with Robinho and Pato also in the mix.
But they did not follow through and Venezuela supporters and a contingent of Argentina fans in the crowd chanted “Ole” enthusiastically whenever a burgundy-shirted Venezuela player passed the ball.
“The big teams in this tournament aren’t going to get an easy ride – they’ll have to scrap for everything in every game,” vowed Venezuela goalkeeper Renny Vega afterwards.
Bolivia, ranked 102 in the world, had shown the way by holding Argentina in their opener and 68th-ranked Venezuela took their cue in providing another shock result.