Brazil's head coach has explained his decision to take Vinicius Junior off in their lifeless draw with Costa Rica in their 2024 Copa America opener on Tuesday morning.
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The Real Madrid winger was substituted 71 minutes into the Selecao's 0-0 draw with Costa Rica in Group D after failing to make an impact on the game.
Tipped to win the 2024 Ballon d'Or later this year, the 23-year-old is still awaiting his crowning moment on the international stage after scoring just three goals in his first 31 matches for Brazil.
Explaining his call to replace the two-time UEFA Champions League winner, manager Dorival Junior admitted Brazil were getting no joy out of the star.
"We put (Vini Jr) on the side, we were unsuccessful. We placed him inside, we couldn't find a path either, he was very well marked," he said, according to Globo.
"We had to look for a solution, trying to make a change. Our team was very well positioned, winning most of the plays and winning those second balls.
"We were presenting a very good volume of play. We had to make changes to parts. We tried several alternatives, several situations were created, and we ended up not being successful in the finals."
Vinicius' last goal for Brazil came in a friendly victory over Guinea in 2023.
The Selecao's next game in the tournament, that is being held in the United States, will come against Paraguay in the early hours of Saturday morning.
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Rivals Argentina, meanwhile, began their Copa campaign with a 2-0 win over Canada last week and will be in action again against Chile on Wednesday morning.
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