Liverpool players and their countries have made a good start to the 2024 Copa America. There’s a strong chance one of them could return to pre-season training with a gold medal.
The tournament began with Argentina beating Canada 2-0, with Alexis Mac Allister assisting the opening goal, risking an injury to do so. The reigning world champion followed that up with a 1-0 win over Chile.
Uruguay has also won two games, with Darwin Núñez scoring in both matches, while Luis Díaz’s Colombia has recorded a pair of victories too, the Liverpool man netting from the spot against Costa Rica. Brazil is in the same group as Díaz, meaning he will come up against Alisson Becker on Tuesday. The Reds’ goalkeeper has experienced two very different matches at the Copa America, but he reliably delivered when called upon.
READ MORE: Liverpool transfer news LIVE: Van Dijk’s stance on new contract, Salah waiting game, Diaz’s ‘dream’ stalls
READ MORE: Philippe Coutinho ‘agrees’ emotional transfer return after months of uncertainty
The Brazilians began their campaign against Costa Rica, dominating the match from start to finish. The underdog held firm, though, earning a goalless draw. Brazil had 74 per cent possession and 19 shots worth a combined 1.71 expected goals, per Sofascore, but couldn’t break through.
Alisson completed all of his 20 attempted passes in the match but didn’t have a save to make. Costa Rica was only able to generate two shots, both of which were blocked. Alisson earned a similarly save-free clean sheet against Burnley on Boxing Day but matches of that type are rare.
Brazil played Paraguay on Friday and that game would have felt far more familiar to Alisson. He faced six shots on target, conceding once. That’s more of a big match total, as it equalled the tallies Arsenal, Everton and Tottenham mustered against the Reds in games this season.
It didn’t matter that Alisson was beaten, though, as Brazil was already 3-0 up at the time, eventually winning the match 4-1. However, he made his best save before his side had scored its fourth goal, so it could have led to a nervy spell had the Paraguayans scored.
The chance fell to Julio Enciso of Brighton. His effort was from an opportunity rated at just 0.02 expected goals, but the quality of his finish saw that value rise to 0.58 in the post-shot model. In other words, he would have turned the odds of scoring in his favor against an average goalkeeper. Alisson Becker is anything but that.
Liverpool.com says: Alisson is a superb goalkeeper, capable of making the most unlikely of saves at any given moment. He has shown countless times over the years that he can keep shots out at the most important moments, though, and he’s did it again here.
Source link : https://www.liverpool.com/liverpool-fc-news/features/alisson-becker-copa-america-brazil-29443447.amp
Author :
Publish date : 2024-06-29 04:27:27
Copyright for syndicated content belongs to the linked Source.
