By Fatih Erel
ISTANBUL (AA) - The Video Assistant Referee (VAR) rescued Venezuela on Tuesday after denying two Brazil goals in a goalless draw in Group A in Copa America 2019 on Tuesday.
Hosts Brazil had a third goal by striker Roberto Firmino ruled out by the referee in the first half, this time without VAR assistance.
Brazil is leading Group A with four points from two matches while Venezuela has two points from two games.
Bolivia was defeated by Peru 3-1 to have their second straight loss on Tuesday.
Brazil and Peru have 4 points each while Venezuela have 2 points and Bolivia have no points before the last matches in the group.
The 2019 Copa America football tournament kicked off in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil on Friday.
The top two nations from each group and the two best third-place nations will qualify for the quarterfinals.
Brazil is an eight-time winner of the tournament while Uruguay is the top Copa America champs, as they won the cup 15 times, most recently in 2011.
Argentina also won the cup 14 times, but not since 1993, and not with football star Lionel Messi as part of the squad.
Chile are the reigning champions, having beaten Argentina in the last two finals in 2015 and 2016.
Peru and Paraguay also won the cup twice each, while Bolivia and Colombia also won the cup once each.
Group A
Teams P GD PTS
| 1 | Brazil | 2 | 3 | 4 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Peru | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 | Venezuela | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 4 | Bolivia | 2 | -5 | 0 |
Group B
Teams P GD PTS
| 1 | Colombia | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Paraguay | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 | Qatar | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Argentina | 1 | -2 | 0 |
Group C
Teams P GD PTS
| 1 | Uruguay | 1 | 4 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chile | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| 3 | Japan | 1 | -4 | 0 |
| 4 | Ecuador | 1 | -4 | 0 |