All Brazil had to do was avoiding losing to Peru to advance to the quarterfinal stage of the Copa America Centenario.
That seemed like a reasonable task for the seventh-ranked team in the world, who, judging by Peru’s ineptitude on offense, needed just one goal to provide the insurance of emerging with either a win or a draw.
They managed neither.
With the game scoreless in the 75th minute, the ball was crossed into the box and Raul Ruidiaz found his way on the other end of it, and knocked the ball into the goal for the eventual game-winner.
The problem is that he clearly used his hand to deflect the ball into the goal.
A look at Raul Ruidiaz's goal that has Brazil on the brink of crashing out of #CopaAmerica. #BRAvPER #MyCopaColors https://t.co/dlcsDhiq7c
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) June 13, 2016
The referee consulted with the assistant referee and the fourth official for a few minutes, yet somehow, ruled it to be a goal.
Thanks to the controversial goal that clearly shouldn’t have counted, Peru pulled off the shocking 1-0 upset and won the group. They’ll play Colombia in the next round.
With that being said, Brazil only has themselves to blame. They played not to lose, rather than to win, and it burned them in the end. You’d expect more from a top-flight team.
What we can expect, is for the team’s manager, Dunga, to be fired or resign in the coming weeks.
