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At the Maracana stadium, Brazil put in a dominant display to edge past a motivated Peru side to win the Copa America 2019. Goals from Everton gave the Selecao a much needed lead in the 15th minute of the game but Peru kept fighting as Paolo Guerrero converted from the spot to equalize the match for a brief spell. Gabriel Jesus quickly restored Brazil's lead and Richarlison converted a penalty for the Selecao to end Peru's hopes of winning the trophy.
The hosts were in trouble when their forward Jesus was shown a second yellow with 20 minutes left. Peru kept creating half-chances but Richarlison's late penalty sealed the win. Brazil won the Copa America for the ninth time and ended their 12-year wait as they won the tournament for the first time since their win in 2007.
Without further ado, let us take a look at the player ratings from the match:
Brazil Player Ratings:
Alisson Becker: 6.5/10
Although Alisson won the Copa America Golden Glove, he could have sealed the tournament without conceding a goal. Guerrero's penalty ended an incredible streak of seven clean sheets for his club and country but considering the end result, Alisson will not be thinking much about the solitary goal he conceded in the tournament.
Apart from the goal, the Liverpool goalkeeper did not have much to do as Peru managed only two shots on target.
Dani Alves: 6/10
The Selecao skipper has been in stellar form in the ongoing tournament and he continued his form with another good display. Alves was solid at right-back and he kept finding spaces on the flanks. He kept pushing forward when required but managed to hold his ground while defending. Overall, it was a good game for Brazil's captain.
Marquinhos: 6.5/10
The center-back formed a rock solid pairing with his club teammate, Thiago Silva. Although Marquinhos was a bit nervy, he was efficient enough to absorb the pressure applied by Peru and fend off rival attackers.
Thiago Silva: 6/10
The veteran center-back dropped another stellar display but it was his handling of the ball that led to the penalty for Peru. Although the handball was unintentional, Silva should have done better in that scenario. Despite that transgression, the defender was solid to see off Peru's attacks during the second half with his tackles and interceptions.
Alex Sandro: 7/10
Sandro is nowhere near someone like Marcelo when it comes to overlaps but the left-back surely knows how to hold his ground. Sandro rarely pushed forward against Peru but was brilliant on the left-flank as Peru struggled to create chances down his side. Owing to his maturity off the ball and superior defensive abilities, Sandro kept the attackers at bay and gave a solid performance at the back.
Casemiro: 7/10
Casemiro, as always, was the workhorse of the team. The defensive midfielder makes his team more disciplined with his ability to break the opposition's rhythm and he was exceptional when Peru was trying to equalize in the second half. He helped out the defenders with interceptions and broke down numerous attacks. Thus, proving why he is such an integral part of the team.
Arthur: 8.5/10
Simply put, the Barcelona midfielder ran the show in the final. Arthur pulled all the strings as he operated from midfield. He dribbled past opponents with relative ease, created chances and found his teammates with pinpoint accuracy throughout the game.
The 22-year-old had an 85.7% pass accuracy, played two key passes and grabbed one assist in another stellar display.
Philippe Coutinho: 6/10
Unlike Arthur, Coutinho was unable to feed the final pass to his teammates. Despite indulging in some breathtaking runs in the second period, the Barcelona midfielder took on the shot instead of passing it to players who were better positioned. Overall, Coutinho had a good game but he failed to conjure an end product.
Everton Soares: 8/10
The forward had zero goals for his national team before the Copa America but what a tournament this has been for the player! Everton was the difference once again as he scored the opener which gave his team the early lead and momentum during the match. In the second-half, it was Everton who won the penalty for Brazil, which was converted by Richarlison to seal the win.
Roberto Firmino: 7/10
The unsung hero of Brazil's Copa America triumph is Roberto Firmino. Firmino is not a typical striker as he drops deep to help out in creating chances for his team. And the Liverpool striker did that effortlessly in the final. Firmino's work-rate was extremely high and his link-up play was superb, which helped Brazil counter attack efficiently throughout the match.
Gabriel Jesus: 8.5/10
Gabriel Jesus was the talking point of the final. The Manchester City striker assisted one goal, scored one and finally, got sent off following a bookable offense which saw him receive a second yellow card. Apart from the sending off though, he was simply brilliant and kept the defenders honest with his trickery and movement. While the former aspect helped him set up the opening goal, the latter allowed him to restore Brazil's lead in the final.
Substitutes
Richarlison 6/10: Following Jesus' red card, Brazil coach Tite made some quick changes and Richarlison was one of them. Brazil was reduced to 10-men but the Everton star did his job as he converted the penalty calmly to seal the win.
Eder Militao 5.5/10: Tite subbed in the young defender to help out his teammates after they were reduced to 10-men. The young center-back was cool and did not make any mistakes during his short stint on the pitch.
