Brazil U-17s Beat Peru In Tough Encounter

Two goals in as many minutes plus a third late on were enough for Brazil to maintain their winning start to the Sudamericano Sub-17 against Peru.

The result means that Brazil are now within touching distance of yet another appearance in the final of the youth tournament

The 3-0 scoreline does not tell the whole story, however, as an under-par Brazil were tested by an inventive Peruvian side all evening.

It was not until Peru had defender Antonio Centeno sent off after twenty minutes for a wild lunge on Wellington that Brazil could start to assert themselves on the match.

In the opening stages it was Peru who made all the play with the lively strikeforce of Joazhino Arroe and Johan Ray supplied by creative pair Pedro La Torre and Deyhir Reyes in midfield.

Peru went close in the eleventh minute when Rey grazed the post with a strike from the right before Reyes tested Luiz Guilherme in the Brazilian goal from long range shortly after.

While Peru’s early pressure still failed to produce a clinical strike the danger always remained of Brazil going up the other end and making something happen for themselves.

Brazil’s first meaningful assault came after Wellington brought a speculative punt upfield under his spell and sped off towards the Peruvian goal.

Centeno came across to deal with the threat and committed himself with an agricultural lunge which floored Wellington just outside the box.

Centeno received his marching orders and the disappointment from the Peru fans was palpable that their good start would count for nothing.

The defender became the third player to be sent off in this year’s Sudamericano despite only five games being played in the tournament so far.

To Peru’s credit they did not surrender their attacking instincts and still poured forward in numbers when the opportunity presented itself.

Brazil eventually managed to capitalise on their numerical advantage 10 minutes before half-time.

After direct running Wellington won his team another free-kick on the edge of the box and Coutinho’s delivery was nodded home by defensive colossus Gerson.

Barely a minute later Wellington was again chopped down, this time in the Peruvian penalty area. The referee was left with little option but to point to the spot and Coutinho rammed home his second penalty of the championships.

The goalscorer was way short of the kind of form he showed in the tournament’s opener against Paraguay but as he headed down the tunnel for half-time he could reflect on yet another goal and another assist.

Brazilian coach Lucho Nizzo was obviously keen for his side to get more goals in the second half as he waved his players forward from the bench at every opportunity.

Peru were in no mood to be rolled over though and their ten men held firm, suppressing Brazil’s attacking threat and presenting their own problems for the opposition from time to time.

Rey was able to set up Peru’s best chance of the second half as he skipped around three Brazilians before laying the ball to Joazhino Arroe who produced a fine save from Luiz Guilherme.

The longer Brazil kept Peru at bay however the more inevitable the final result became and the match was really put out of sight five minutes from full-time.

Wellington finally got the goal his performance deserved when Peru’s ‘keeper Armando Falcon made a hash of dealing with a strike from 25 yards out.

As the ball slipped under Falcon the Brazilan striker ran over to his bench to receive the plaudits of his team-mates and coaching staff.

Such a performance cannot have gone unnoticed by Chelsea’s chief scout for the Americas, Chilean Jorge Alvial, who watched from the stands.

As well as man of the match Wellington, the Stamford Bridge man said he was also interested in Brazilian left-back Dodo.

With one foot already in the final, Brazil face Colombia in three days' time while Peru will be back to face Paraguay.

Tim Sturtridge, Goal.com