Brazil Take the Right Step Forward in 1st Match After Copa America

HARRISON, N.J. — With the ugly shadow of this summer's Copa America quarter-final exit hanging over them on Saturday, Brazil impressed in their first match since the disappointing tournament run in Chile.

The Selecao may not have completely overwhelmed Costa Rica in their 1-0 win at Red Bull Arena, but they showed plenty of signs of improvement in their first of two September friendlies against CONCACAF opposition. 

Brazil set the tone of the match from the outset, and they were rewarded with a goal in the 10th minute off the foot of Hulk. The massive forward outmuscled Giancarlo Gonzalez on the right side of the penalty area, retained his footing and powered home the lone strike of the match. 

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The tally from the Zenit St. Petersburg man capped off a rampant start to the friendly that saw the Brazilians test Costa Rica goalkeeper Patrick Pemberton on a few occasions. Pemberton, who was credited with three saves, played a major role in keeping the Selecao off the scoreboard again. 

Although taking the lead early in the game was a positive for Brazil, their attack quieted down in the minutes following Hulk's goal. Instead of threatening in the final third like they did over the first 10 minutes, they fizzled out as the half progressed. 

One especially disappointing aspect of Brazil's attack in the first half, and for the rest of the match, was the set-piece delivery. Dunga's side failed to consistently threaten the Costa Rica back four despite having David Luiz, Marcelo and Hulk in the box. 

The brightest spot in the Brazil attack was the left wing as Marcelo and Douglas Costa combined well during their 81 minutes on the pitch together. The pair did run into some difficulty against Cristian Gamboa toward the end of the first half, but they recovered well when the second 45 minutes began. 

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In the second half, Brazil started fast but then drifted back to the mean before Kaka and Neymar entered the match. With the pair of superstars on the field, Brazil looked lively in the final third for the final 20 minutes of the match. Although he may not be seen as a first-team player on the international level anymore, Kaka did impress over 23 minutes. If he can deliver the same punch off the bench moving forward, he will be a valuable asset to Dunga's squad. 

While most of the focus will be on the attack after the match, the Brazil back four put up some impressive numbers. The Selecao held Costa Rica to zero shots on goal and rarely let Bryan Ruiz and Joel Campbell get loose. Campbell broke free on the left flank during the first few minutes of his substitute shift, but he was eventually silenced by Brazil right-back Danilo. 

When the Ticos tried to catch Brazil forward on the counter, the Selecao were able to silence the Costa Ricans. Ruiz and Marcos Urena attempted to spring a few moves forward in the first half, and they were almost successful in the 42nd minute. Ruiz ran into a pair of defenders on the right side of the box, but his shouts for a penalty were ignored by the referee. Ruiz broke through the line one more time in the 56th minute, but he was ruled offside. 

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The clean sheet held by Brazil was their first since June 10 against Honduras. In their four matches at the Copa America, they gave up four goals before falling on penalties to Paraguay in the quarter-final. Some may argue that Brazil weren't tested enough to make a statement about their play at the back, but they have to be commended for not letting the Ticos hit them on the counter and pick up an undeserving goal. 

Brazil's central midfield duo of Fernandinho and Luiz Gustavo also combined well together to hold possession and set up the attack. Due to their possession-based mindset, the duo also clogged up the passing lanes used by Costa Rica to distribute out to the wings. 

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By no means was this a perfect performance for Brazil, but just like their Tuesday opponent the United States, they showed a few signs of progression after a rough summer on the continental level. It will be important for the Selecao to continue their improvement on Tuesday before they embark on World Cup qualifying in October against Chile and Venezuela.

Brazil may not be back at the pinnacle of the game for a while, but if they continue to take baby steps forward in progression, they will eventually make their way back to the summit. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.