Things aren't getting much better for Brazil. After a poor Copa America that saw them exit in the quarter-finals, and a disappointing start to World Cup qualifying, Dorival Junior's side needed to find some sort of form this September window. But it eluded them once again, as Vinicius Jr. and the Selecao attack went missing in a 1-0 loss to Paraguay on Tuesday.
The five-time World Cup winners struggled early on in Asuncion, as despite having the majority of possession, Dorival's side did little with it. Defender Guilherme Arana came closest to breaking the deadlock, seeing his effort cleared off the line. Paraguay, meanwhile, took their one real chance, with Inter Miami youngster Diego Gomez rifling a shot into the back of the net in the 20th minute.
Brazil looked a better side during the second half, with Vinicius enjoying some encouraging moments on the left, while the rest of Dorival's men poured forward on the break. The Real Madrid winger came close twice, missing a good opportunity off a corner before forcing an acrobatic save out of Roberto Fernandez. Still, a goal never came.
Paraguay, for their part, dug in effectively, and limited Brazil to just three shots on target on the night in condemning them to their fourth defeat from eight qualifiers so far.
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