Raul Rudiaz wheels away in celebration after batting home the ball with his arm versus Brazil at Gillette Stadium Sunday night.
FOXBORO, MA — Raul Rudiaz’s controversial 75th minute goal secured an unlikely 1-0 win for Peru over Brazil on Sunday night at Gillette Stadium, ensuring safe passage to a Quarter Final matchup with Colombia at MetLife Stadium.
Andy Polo did brilliantly down the right hand side as he made a surging whipping the ball across the Brazilian six yard area in the process leaving Rudiaz to turn the ball home. Brazil immediately began furiously protesting the goal with referee Andres Cunha and his assistant referee.
Replays showed that Rudiaz “batted” the ball in with his arm, and yet four minutes of conversation with his officials and an unknown third party resulted in Cunha allowing the goal and, subsequently, Peru’s advance.
Brazil coach Dunga surprised many with his lineup selection in a pivotal game versus Peru on Sunday evening at Gillette Stadium, selecting Lucas Lima, and Gabriel “Gabigol” Barbosa to replace Casemiro and Jonas. It was widely expected that the defensive-minded former Brazil international would select Walace to replace the suspended Casemiro, and Lucas Lima’s introduction to the first eleven was seen as an aggressive move to ensure safe passage through to the quarterfinal round of the Copa America Centenario.
The move immediately payed off with Brazil starting much brighter than qualification hopefuls Peru. The Selecao moved the ball around with the silky skills and fluidity that the great Brazil teams of old were renowned for — a far cry from the team who drew 0-0 with Ecuador in their opening group game.
Brazil carved apart the Peruvian defense in the early going, but failed to get many shots away. Before the first shot on target of the game happened, however, Gabigol ran onto a beautiful diagonal ball from Liverpool star Coutinho but was met by a crushing shoulder charge by Alberto Rodriguez inside the penalty area. Gabigol looked up at the referee expecting a penalty to be called but Andres Cunha waved it off, indicating a goal kick.
Further controversy occurred just twelve minutes later when Willian was victim of a similar challenge, this time by Christian Ramos. Again, Andres Cunha denied Dunga’s men a penalty kick.
With Dunga already ranting and raving at the officials from the very edge of his technical area, Brazil were clearly becoming frustrated with Andres Cunha’s refereeing performance. In the 24th minute Ramos, again, was second to a challenge with Coutinho in the 18 yard area, but still Cunha wouldn’t award the Selecao a stone-wall penalty. Four Brazil players surrounded the referee screaming at him to award the penalty kick, Dunga threw his hands in the air and berated the fourth official, but the Uruguayan referee and his team of officials were still unmoved.
Cunha seemed intent to not put himself in a position to make any hard decisions while being in the Copa America spotlight, and again in the 44th minute he cowered away from another tough decision as Renato Augusto felled Edison Flores in obvious fashion just inside the penalty area. “Play on” waved Cunha. Peru were stunned.
The experienced referee’s performance had marred what was a free-flowing, attacking performance by Brazil enjoying 65% of the ball possession in the process. With the score tied at 0-0 at half time, Dunga sent his men out in damage control mode, and gone was the incisive Brazil team of the first half, and out came the Brazil team that tied with Ecuador 0-0 in the Selecao’s first group game.
Dunga was understandably frustrated and defiant in his post-match press conference. When asked if he was afraid that his position as coach of the Brazilian national team might be in danger, the former Brazil international fired back “The only thing I fear is death.” “I wonder who the referee is talking with” Dunga added when asked about the decision to allow Rudiaz’s goal, as he noted that the referee had “spoken with all of [AR’s, 4th official] the refs” about the decision. ]
Dunga also alluded to comments made by the President of the Uruguayan FA — Wilmar Valdez — about the Copa America being arranged for Mexico. Saying that some of the decisions by Cunha made him wonder if Valdez might be right. Brazil’s relationship with CONMEBOL is already fractious as it is, and this is unlikely to help heal any wounds.
Unfortunately poor officiating has been rife at this Copa America. The standard of officiating has arguably ruined two games this weekend that involved teams where the focus should have been the standard of play on the field — not the standard of the person making the decisions.
