Richarlison rounds off Brazil's Copa America triumph

Richarlison scores a penalty in the 90th minute for Brazil in the Copa America final; they're 3-1 up now.

RICHARLISON!

Slots in a perfect penalty to clinch the Copa America for Brazil.

Came on as a late sub, nicely unswollen.

Richarlison scores a penalty. Well taken. Game over.

And scores!

And just scored a bizarre penalty with his RIGHT foot! A billion dollars worth of Brazilian talent out there and OUR dude gets to take the penalty to win the Copa America!?

Okay, whatever, that is awesome both for Richie and for Everton.

And wins it!

He looked fit and raring to go too. Came on and made a nuisance of himself down the left flank, and scored a penno. Not bad for a man with mumps.

Perfect pen by the un-puffy Richarlison in the 90th minute.

Guess it's time to consider him for Baines's job as well.

Some nerve to take it for a young man.. well taken.. changed the game when he came on.. keeping the ball well..

After Everton scoring the opener and Richarlison scoring the pen the commentator came out with 'Everton have won the Copa America in one way or another I guess" —.classic.

Yep, Joe, "Everton" was a frequently used word in this game!

Mumps in adults is a serious thing, it can be a killer, there is no way Richarlison had mumps.

And that's no bad thing Mike..

Given that Richarlison was diagnosed with mumps half through the competition, it's quite a recovery to not only make the bench for the semi-final and final, but actually get on the pitch for the final.

He was being prepared to come on just before Jesus got his 2nd yellow card and red, so I feared Tite the coach may switch Richarlison for a more defensive minded player, but to his credit Tite stuck with Richarlison who replaced Firmino. That effectively meant a double workload for our man - playing Firmino's central role as well as filling in for Jesus wide left.

I'm guessing Tite went for his more physical presence over the alternatives, such as Neres or Willan. He spent most of his time wide left, cannily time and again eating up precious minutes keeping close possession and winning throw ins for his team deep in Peru territory.

He was up against the very rugged, very quick, very hard tackling Advíncula and he more than held his own against him.

Interestingly, Everton Sousa also kept left rather than switch wide right and this doubling up on Advíncula helped create the third goal when Everton wriggled through and was clearly taken out for the penalty.

I was surprised to see Richarlison given the responsibility, as it was his one and only penalty take since the dreadful miss in the penalty shoot out against Southampton last season. And he faced the inevitable delay as everything was confirmed by VAR and Peru players walking in front of him as the ref attempted to ensure everyone was outside the area.

His approach was the stuttering one which made many of us grimace when he did the same for Everton, but this time his starting position was wide left of the penalty spot, rather than head on, and even though the keeper went the right way, he hit a grounder, cleanly inside the side netting. Very nice pen.

Before the Copa America the local Globo network did a piece on Richarlison when he promised to dedicate any goal he scored to his great-grandmother. I'm sure he was true to his word.

The presentation ceremony was an interminable affair with multiple awards being given out, including to Everton as the MoTM. His finish for the opening goal from Jesus' excellent play was clinical and just one part of his game. That left him clear as the top goalscorer with 3 in the competition. Not bad for someone who wasn't a first pick in the opening two games.

Unfortunately, they will be at it again next season with yet another Copa America in 2020 hosted by both Argentina and Colombia. The idea is to make it a four-yearly tournament, aligned with the Euros, to be played mid-way between two world cups.

A medal and a goal in the final for our boy. Got to be good for his confidence ahead of next season. He has certainly further enhanced his growing reputation in his home land.

Meanwhile Bolasie missed a pen in the shoot out as Congo lost to Madagascar

Jay 13

Why the fuck is there one next year? I thought they made the switch to four year intervals a few years back right before they had two in consecutive years with the excuse the latter was to mark the centenary? Plus what kind of logistical nightmare will it be splitting it between Argentina and Colombia as hosts? I get neighboring countries hosting but these two are divided by Brazil one of the biggest countries on Earth

Michael #11, according to the various medical websites I checked at the time he was diagnosed, mumps in adults passes completely in 7-10 days if there are no complications. Today was day 11 since he got sick, and obviously there were no complications.

Great news for Richalison, now let's try an sign Everton !!

That was a very nice penalty, though the cutesy run-up would give me heart palpitations if he were taking them regularly for us.

Kieran @ 15.

It's South America! They make it up on the hoof!

Check out the Wiki page - Link

Since its inception it has been an annual, biennial, triennial and quadrennial tournament.

From 2007 onwards it has (notionally!) been every four years and it was played in 2007, 2011 and 2015. Things got messy with the 2015 competition.

Brazil was penned in to host it and Chile in 2019, but because 2015 was squeezed in between the footy World Cup in Brazil in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016, the two countries swapped years so Brazil didn't stage a major sporting event in three consecutive years.

Then CONMEBOL (the ruling body in South American footy) threw in ANOTHER Copa America (in the USA) to celebrate their centenial year of the competition.

Logic suggests that would have been a perfect time to make the switch to a quadrennial tournament, falling in even years between the World Cup as do the Euros.

Brazil, however - a very powerful football federation in Latin America - was reluctant to simply give up the hosting of the competition this year.

So, by the time the competition ends next year in 2020, you will have the farce of having had no fewer than FOUR Copa Americas in the last 6 years for a competition meant to be staged just every four years!

That's why I always check my change for any purchase in Brazil: they really aren't very good at basic maths!

But...but...he ruined last summer's transfer window.

We are lucky to have this guy. He is an awesome player already with potential to be even better. Inprefer him playing off the left, I think he is more effective on this side and seems to have the beating of a full back all day. When playing centrally he ends up becoming too involved with the centre backs because he is willing to take on that physical role up top.

I genuinely think he is a player capable of exploding one season very soon into a top level forward. The aren't many in the modern game with the kind of fight he has, coupled with the ability, attitude of self belief and confidence.

Hopefully we can find another forward to compliment him this summer

Have I had a brain relapse since the end of the end of last season? I thought Richie played the right flank.

Richie plays as a left midfielder...but we played him up front and even on the right of a 3 last year. He always played left midfield/wing for Watford as far as I know

But he is right footed, isn't he?

Pens in order - Baines, Digne, Gomes, Kenny, Richarlison, Sigurdsson, Dowell, Lookman, Calvert-Lewin, Seamus.

There's a few that may not play for us next season but if they did that would be my order.

In short, I don't trust Richarlison or Sigurdsson to be the main penalty taker.

Tommy @ 21.

"We are lucky to have this guy."

You've got that arse about face, Tommy. We paid big money for him and he is being handsomely rewarded for that contract, I am sure.

HE is lucky to have US!

With regard to his best playing position, I agree playing centrally for Everton is not his best position. He does, and has, played that position well for Brazil, even preferred to Firmino on occassion. But the way Brazil plays to their [nominal] centre forward is different to the way Everton played to Richarlison.

For Brazil, it is all about short, one-touch ground passing to pull defenders out of their comfort zone. Everton continued lumping high balls up to Richarlison with his back to goal and Orc-like defenders coming right through him to clear the ball. It was one of the reasons Everton struggled mid-season that Silva (mistakenly, IMO) continued to persist with this failed tactic and line up.

Yes, he is good enough and strong enough to hold up GROUND balls played into him, but his clear strength is running AT defences. Not receiving a high ball with his back to defences.

Interestingly, his games with Brazil mirrored how he was played at Everton. Early season, he played wide left. Mid-season, he played centrally. In the Copa America, he was played wide right

And I have to disagree with you again when you say he is more effective on the left side for Everton. For me, he is equally effective either left or right, but for the BALANCE of the team, he is now better on the right.

Why? Well-prepared teams are all about 'partnerships' across the park. Bernard and Digne increasingly dovetailed BEAUTIFULLY down the left, recalling the halcyon days of the Baines-Pienaar combo. With Richarlison equally adept on either flank, why break that left side up? There was evidence towards the end of last season that Coleman and Richarlison were beginning to replicate their colleagues on the opposite flank.

Additionally, in the final home game of the season v Burnley, there were signs that Richarlison was playing a more 'heads up' game and he and Sigurdson in particular were wreaking havoc with slick interchanging of passes and position.

Even with the mumps he caught at the Copa America, he continued to impress for Brazil in the minutes he played. I'm anticipating he will have a mega, MEGA season with us next time out.

And just a side note to last night's final and the dismissal of Gabriel Jesus.

I'm waiting with interest to see what happens to him for his reaction to his sending off. He threw a right wobbly. Being very abusive to a (good!) referee on the pitch and taking an age to accept the decision and leave the pitch. As he left the pitch, he clearly makes hand gestures suggesting the ref was bribed. Getting close up and personal to the fourth official on the sideline - almost touching foreheads. Kicking a water bottle which sprayed people nearby. Thumping the plastic screen of the dugout where match officials were sat. AND fiercely pushing at the VAR booth which toppled like the leaning tower of Pisa before returning upright. He then sat on the stairs of the tunnel, crying his eyes out and continuing to complain.

It was quite a sight!

Without the red card he may well of got the MoTM award. He was superb. His football, I mean. Not his melodramatics.

A couple of video links:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pnrj6GNfGu4

https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/9458016/gabriel-jesus-crying-punch-var-red-card-copa-america-final/

Opps! A late edit to add the video links didn't work.

Try these:

Link

Link

I can't believe football still only has two cards though Jay, and think they should introduce a third, or introduce a sin-bin, when you consider some of the decisions players get sent-off for these days?

"Right wobbly"?? First I've heard that expression. I love it.

I had just observed to a friend that GJ had used the Copa to launch himself from rising young talent to genuine world star.

And then he melted down into an obnoxious juvenile delinquent. Too bad.

To be fair to the lad, Mike, he did come clean after the game and acknowledged he has to 'grow up'.

Link

On camera, on Brazilian TV, he was particularly remorseful that he shamed his mother who 'didn't raise me to behave like that'.

She is the reason for his 'telephone call' goal celebration. Even in junior football, she would call him every game. She still (literally!) pulls his ear if she thinks he misses a chance he should score and she gives him pocket money! She controls his money.

I bet she more than pulled his ears last night!

He's a good lad, but definitely lost it big time last night. It shows he cares, I suppose.

And...who needs Neymar???!!!

Really rate Richarlison, a real top player in the making.

Gives his all for the team as a starter or sub (witness his celebration for Jesus' goal when he was still on the bench).

An astute buy from Silva despite what seemed to be an excessive amount at the time; he'd probably fetch double that now.

Gabriel Jesus, my oh my. The lad is a walking, talking meme.
He is a talented player, a natural goal-scorer, (as a Palmeiras fan myself, I've been following him since his rise as 'wunderkid') but he is also petulant, and mentally weak. He had 2 tournaments to make his name, the World Cup and the Copa America in his home country, he flopped at the former and was underwhelming in the latter. However, he upped his game vs Argentina, and again at Peru, only to 'throw a wobbly' as Jay so eloquently described.

On to our Rich, i'd say he doesn't possess Gabriel Jesus's natural talent, but he is mentally strong and has the desire and will to get better and better. I think his best position is on the right, drifting inwards, and he is definates has 20+ goals in him. I honestly think he can be top-scorer this coming season.

On the Copa in general, it was weak. Alisson conceded just one goal (a VAR penalty), yet Brazil were bang average. Brazil are a shadow of what we all grew up admiring. Everton, Brazil's new superstar, is a good player, the best in Latin America at the moment, but I laugh when 'Globo' try and compare his rise to that of Ronaldinho (both coming through Gremio's ranks), he is no way near that level. I fear that Everton will now be transferred to PSG, or Madrid, and it would be a terrible decision I feel.

One a side note, Dani Alves was the best player at the tournament. What a player. He is out of contract. Imagine, just for one year, Dani Alves and Richarlison down the right hand side at Goodison.

I've always liked Dani Alves, but I think Marco & Marcel will be looking for a lesser name as back up for Seamus.

Good to hear Richarlison is doing well again. He really is a player in the making, a thing Marco will have recognised during the training sessions for Watford.

This Richarlison is a very clever kid, picking up a big award and asking the government to invest in education.

Brilliant that a kid from the streets is telling the politicians, who would sooner keep sending the army into the favelas to create carnage.

Only 22 and already a man of the people, alls he's gotta do now is stop diving!

You beat me to it, Tony. He really is a good lad, with a rapidly growing reputation in his homeland. Here is the story to his latest good deed:

Link

As for his diving, I thought once he went back to the flank for Everton rather than playing centrally where he was getting battered, he curtailed his Swan Song act a lot towards the end of the season.

It really is something he needs to eliminate from his game or risk getting a damaging reputation for 'simulation'.

I was reading something on Richarlison the other week Jay, and he said the English food was awful, but the English people are educated, so this must be the thing that stands out to him, when he evaluates everything back to home?

Agree that he's stopped diving so much, I hope it's because he's realised Evertonians don't really like it, but it's definitely a cultural thing, and something the kid doesn't need to do, simply because he's one of the strongest wide-players I've ever seen... honestly?

Should get him round to Dave's place for a Sunday roast, Tony! See if the pigeon-dancer can identify what Dave serves up (pigeon, by his own admission!) but calls 'roast chicken!' You poor kids!!!

Standard Brazilian fayre is nothing to brag about. He will have been raised on rice, beans, beef jerky and chicken (if the family could afford meat), all sprinkled with farofa - a curious toasted grated cassava accompaniment - and few, if any, veggies.

A bowl of scouse would change his mind about English cuisine! But then, probably not. Brazilians aren't big about stews or gravy-like sauces on their food.

My missus doesn't 'get' gravy at all! Leaves more for me to mop up off me plate with a slice of brown bread once the rest of the meal has been consumed!

Funny Jay, that gravy hides a multitude of sins mate, and probably why Dave thinks he's eating chicken!