LOS ANGELES: Luis Abram scored his first international goal with a header in the 85th minute, and Peru ended Brazil’s 17-game unbeaten streak since last year’s World Cup with a 1-0 victory Tuesday night.
Peru shockingly pulled out only their second win over Brazil in 21 matches after Abram slipped into the box and nodded home Yoshimar Yotún’s free kick.
Abram is a 23-year-old defender who plays professionally in Argentina for mid-table Vélez Sarsfield, but he managed to outscore a star-studded Brazilian lineup including Bayern Munich’s Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino and second-half substitutes Neymar, Vinicius and Fabinho.
Peru beat Brazil for only the fifth time in the nations’ 47 meetings. The game also was a rematch of the Copa América final, won 3-1 by Brazil on July 7.
Neymar came on in the 63rd minute along with Liverpool’s Fabinho, and Real Madrid’s Vinicius joined them in the 74th minute. The stars made a late push, but could not level the match in front of a lively crowd of 32,287 at the venerable Coliseum in Los Angeles.
Neymar scored a goal and assisted on another during Brazil’s 2-2 draw with Colombia in Miami last Friday, but he was on coach Tite’s bench to start in Los Angeles. He was unable to score his 62nd international goal, which will match Ronaldo’s career total for the Seleção.
Neymar’s tumultuous summer ended with the superstar still at Paris St. Germain despite extensive negotiations to return to Barcelona. Although PSG took disciplinary action against him for missing training in July, he is expected to return after the international break.
Both teams had chances to score in the opening half, but could not convert. Brazil also had a scary moment when Casemiro jumped above David Neres for a header, and the teammates came down holding their heads from the collision. Casemiro returned with a bandage on his head.
Morris’ late goal gives US 1-1 draw vs. Uruguay
Jordan Morris scored his first international goal in more than two years in the 79th minute, giving the US a 1-1 tie against Uruguay in an exhibition game on Tuesday night.
Brian Rodriguez, a 19-year-old Los Angeles FC forward who made his international debut in Friday’s 2-1 win at Costa Rica, put fifth-ranked Uruguay ahead off a counterattack in the 50th minute. Rodriguez took a pass from Federico Valverde, dribbled around defender Aaron Long and beat goalkeeper Brad Guzan to the near post with left-footed shot for his first international goal.
Morris scored after José Giménez’s attempted clearance near the end line bounced of American defender Nick Lima and bounded in front of the open goal. Morris chested the ball in for his sixth international goal, his first since the 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup final against Jamaica. Morris tore his right anterior cruciate ligament in February 2018 while playing with Seattle and did not return to the national team until March 2019.
Morris’ goal was the first for the 22nd-ranked US since Christian Pulisic’s 87th-minute strike in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal win over Jamaica. The Americans have not been blanked in three straight games since 2009.
The Americans have eight wins, four losses and two draws this year under coach Gregg Berhalter, hired in December to revive the team following their failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They close the year with home-and-home matches against Cuba and Canada in the new CONCACAF Nations League but largely are focused on the start of qualifying for the 2022 World Cup next September.
