Brazil vs. Iraq: Score and Reaction from 2016 Olympic Men's Soccer

Following an underwhelming start to the tournament, Brazil's problems on the pitch continued Sunday night. The host country earned a point in a 0-0 draw with Iraq in Brasilia in the men's soccer tournament at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Given the dull nature of the game, the Guardian's Caitlin Murray is unlikely to be the only person who regretted viewing the full 90 minutes:

I didn’t see Katie Ledecky set a new record because I was watching Neymar’s snoozefest vs. Iraq. One of my worst life choices. #Olympics

— Caitlin Murray (@caitlinmurr) August 8, 2016

Brazil opened the Olympics with a 0-0 draw with South Africa. On its own, the result was frustrating enough for the hosts, and that frustration was exacerbated by the fact the South Africans were playing with 10 men following Mothobi Mvala's red card in the 59th minute.

While the side competing in the Olympics isn't the full senior national team, it's still carrying the weight of expectations and past disappointments. The 7-1 defeat to Germany at the 2014 World Cup still weighs on the minds of many fans, and Brazil followed that up with forgettable showings at the last two Copa Americas.

Yahoo Sports' Leander Schaerlaeckens argued Brazil may be at a nadir in its football history:

Brazil has been in freefall since the 7-1 World Cup semifinal loss to Germany two years ago. Its worst slump ever? Gotta be, right?

— LeanderAlphabet (@LeanderAlphabet) August 8, 2016

Sunday's draw further illustrated that the malaise around the Selecao goes beyond the senior team.

Mohanad Abdulraheem nearly put Iraq ahead in the 12th minute, but his header glanced off the post and away from danger. Agence France-Presse's Kieran Canning thought Brazil's goalkeeper was looking unsure of himself:

Iraq so close to a shock lead as long throw is headed off the inside of the post. #BRA keeper Weverton lookds extremely dodgy

— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) August 8, 2016

Had Iraq continued pressing the Brazilian defense, it might have found a goal in the first half. Instead, it was unable to make the most of its early advantage, with Brazil largely dictating the pace.

What the Iraqis lacked in attacking flair they made up for with defensive organization. They neutralized Neymar and forced Brazil to play a direct style that has rarely suited the country since Dunga emphasized the approach during his first spell as national team's coach.

And the longer the match remained scoreless, the more frustrated Brazil became. FourFourTwo's Jeff Kassouf thought the level of tension around the team was evident to anybody watching the match:

Palpable stress for this Brazilan men's soccer team. A few more minutes of stoppage time to find one.

— Jeff Kassouf (@JeffKassouf) August 8, 2016

Brazil's frustration turned to desperation, which hampered the attack as a whole. Despite having 69 percent of the possession and 20 total shots, Brazil had just six shots on target. Soccer announcer Mark Followill tweeted that inefficiency plagued Brazil against South Africa as well:

2 matches. 40 shots by Brazil, none in the back of the net. Wouldn't believe if I hadn't seen it. 0-0 draw again tonight for Brazil vs Iraq

— Mark Followill (@MFollowill) August 8, 2016

With his team's back against the wall, Renato Augusto was nearly the hero for Brazil. William delivered a cross from the right that found the Beijing Guoan midfielder unmarked in the 18-yard box. Augusto had a wide-open net from about seven yards out, but his right-footed volley sailed off target. The miss summed up the night as a whole for Brazil.

Brazil and Iraq both have two points from their from their first two matches at the Olympics, so they'll have work to do when they close out the group stage Wednesday.

There's a chance the hosts will fail to reach the quarterfinals, which would be nothing short of a disaster. They'll face off against Denmark, which will be a tricky side. Iraq, meanwhile, will play against South Africa.

Depending on how the Iraq-South Africa match unfolds, a draw against Denmark may not be enough for Brazil to advance.

Note: Match stats are courtesy of Rio2016.com.

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