Brazil vs. Costa Rica: Score and Reaction from 2015 International Friendly

Brazil managed to beat Costa Rica 1-0 in their international friendly on Saturday, putting together an unconvincing performance ahead of the upcoming clash with the USA.

Hulk scored the only goal of the match early in the first half, but while the Selecao dominated stretches of the tie, they failed to live up to the lofty expectations and were fortunate Bryan Ruiz's second-half equaliser was controversially ruled offside.

Brazil were definitely the better team on Saturday, but against a Costa Rica squad that is transitioning from former manager Paulo Wanchope to Oscar Ramirez, you would expect a better performance.

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Ramirez made his debut on the Costa Rican bench on Saturday and decided not to start Arsenal forward Joel Campbell—which was a mild surprise. Meanwhile, Dunga opted to keep the Liverpool duo of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino on the bench for Brazil.

The Selecao started the match in impressive fashion, and Hulk drew a fine save from Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton. The stopper was in action again minutes later, denying David Luiz with another spectacular stop.

The Costa Ricans didn't know where to look first, as Brazil's pressure was relentless in the opening stages. Douglas Costa should have played the ball off to a wide-open Hulk, but as shared by Selecao Brasileira, the in-form Bayern Munich winger opted for some trickery instead:

"

Very bad decision making by Costa here. Hulk was totally free, he decided to go on and beat his opponent instead of releasing the ball.

— Seleção Brasileira (@BrazilStats) September 5, 2015"

Less than a minute later, the Brazilians deservedly took the lead, and it was Hulk who made it all happen with a solo effort.

The striker latched onto a long ball and used his strength to shield it from Giancarlo Gonzalez, who could only push the Brazilian down. Hulk quickly got back on his feet, however, and blasted the ball past a helpless Pemberton.

Bleacher Report UK's Joe Tansey was impressed by his sheer strength:

Despite the early lead, Brazil's pressure didn't let up, and Fernandinho forced Pemberton into making another tough save at the near post. The Manchester City man also connected with the resulting corner, but once again, Pemberton had it covered.

La Sele looked like a shell of the team that impressed at the 2014 World Cup during the opening minutes, but gradually, they started to recover. Possession shifted more toward midfield, where the CONCACAF side managed to keep up with the Brazilians and neutralise much of the danger.

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The Brazil attack started to lose its punch, and Chelsea's Willian resorted to shooting from long range—never coming close to the target. Fortunately for the Selecao, La Sele couldn't muster any real chances of their own, either, as Luiz and Danilo brilliantly isolated Ruiz, who covered plenty of ground but was hardly dangerous in the first half.

Hulk should have scored just before half-time when out of nowhere he suddenly found himself all alone in front of Pemberton. The Zenit St Petersburg forward took too much time on the ball, however, and ultimately lost his footing.

There were some appeals for a Costa Rica penalty just before the whistle, as Ruiz was suddenly on the ground, but the official remained unmoved. At half-time, the score was 1-0, and Sky Sports' Paulo Freitas was not impressed:

Costa Rica started the second half in a positive fashion, but the first real chance fell to the Selecao. Marcelo and Hulk set up a lovely combination at the edge of the box, but the former couldn't decide between a shot or a cross and ended up missing the target completely.

The Real Madrid star came close to scoring minutes later, but Gonzalez managed to get a touch on his shot, making the ball lose all momentum and roll into the arms of Pemberton. 

Costa then tried his luck but put a shot over the bar, as the Brazilians started to get sloppy in front of goal. They were lucky Ruiz was called back for offside when Costa Rica scored out of the blue, particularly when replays showed the 30-year-old may have been onside. Tansey wasn't sure:

The disallowed goal gave Los Ticos confidence, and they started growing into the match once again. Costa Rica actually started to press Brazil a bit, which in turn gave the Selecao chances to counter. Willian struck the side netting on such an occasion, and if he hadn't rushed his shot, the score may have been 2-0.

Campbell made his way onto the pitch and immediately drew a free-kick after a foul from Miranda, announcing his arrival with a bang.

Costa remained the main danger man for the Selecao, testing Pemberton with a nice curling shot and putting the stopper to work once again after a nifty move from Kaka. Zizouology liked the effort from the veteran:

Costa really deserved a goal for his performance, but it wasn't to be, as he too was called back for offside when he finally had the ball in the net. Brazil pushed hard in the final 10 minutes in an effort to double their lead, but Costa Rica's defence stood firm, clinging on until the final whistle.

Fans were probably hoping for a bit more for the Brazilians, who showed their class during stretches of the match but didn't truly impress. Costa and Hulk were fantastic, however, and with a little more efficiency in front of goal, this match could have been over by half-time.

Expect a tougher challenge from the USA, Brazil's next opponent. The Stars and Stripes showed their mental fortitude against Peru, completing a comeback win, and they should create more in front of goal than Los Ticos managed on Saturday.

Brazil and the USA will meet on Tuesday.  

Post-Match Reaction

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