Lucas Paqueta’s joy and relief – and the Brazilian star’s elephant in the room at the Copa America

There’s an expression Brazilians use when they’re fed up with things not going their way. “Sai, urucubaca,” he says, a polite invitation to bad luck to leave the building. Brazil is a superstitious enough nation that this is something you’ll hear quite often.

Not much could be heard over the cheers at Allegiant Stadium, but Lucas Paqueta’s body language strongly suggested the phrase was on his lips – or at least in his mind. He ran toward the corner flag, hands moving downward as if expelling a spell from his arteries.

An hour earlier, he had taken the worst penalty of this Copa America, a fiasco that was accompanied by a growing unease about Brazil’s start to the tournament. But now, all was joy and relief: the Brazilian was eliminated. Selection were 4-1 in front of Paraguay and Paqueta had, this time, converted from the spot.

All penalties are gifts but this one arrived wrapped in gold foil. Rodrygo initially looked the likeliest taker after Mathias Villsanti handled in the box. Then, Vinicius Junior expressed his interest in scoring what would have been a memorable hat-trick. That they ultimately tagged Paqueta was a surprise. It was also a considerable act of generosity.

For Paqueta, it was a moment of redemption. He looked emotional – more than one would expect, even taking into account that first-half failure.

At this point, we should probably address the elephant in the room: Paqueta may well be playing the final games of his career.

The 26-year-old was charged last month by the English Football Association for allegedly breaching its betting rules. He denied any wrongdoing when charged on May 23 and has vowed to clear his name. Officials at his club, West Ham, fear he could face a lifetime ban if convicted. Publicly, West Ham have pledged to support him. His final hearing is expected to take place in the coming months.

This Copa America therefore looks a lot like a stay of execution. Of course, he wants to leave his mark there.

Full-time in Las Vegas, he certainly left Paraguay with a few bruises. Paqueta played a role in all four of Brazil’s goals, setting up Vinicius Junior’s opener with a beautiful, subtle reverse pass and starting the moves that led to the second and third. “It was a very special match for me,” he said after the match.

It’s the kind of performance that underlines his importance to this team. Paqueta only returned to the team in March after a nine-month absence – former coach Fernando Diniz didn’t want to pick him due to the FA investigation – but he has been the standout player of Brazil in the six matches since, bringing a creative spark that had been sorely lacking, particularly with Neymar injured.

Whatever your value judgment on Paqueta, it takes a heart of steel not to be seduced by what he does on the pitch. He is a conjurer, a man of ideas, a trader in deep passes, heels and small bridges, in short, all the good things in football and life. He is more of an aesthete than an athlete.

Frankly, all this would be boring if things played out the way many people expect. We should enjoy this kind of thing for years to come. Whatever moral opprobrium is heaped on him in the coming months will be followed by a secondary wave of exasperation from those who appreciate his quiet, carefree charms.

This is obviously not Paqueta’s main concern. He even claims not to be tormented by the betting affair. “I am in a happy state of mind,” he said before the start of the Copa America. “I feel calm, ready to do what I do on the pitch with confidence and joy.”

Saying that is one thing, but it would take a remarkable feat of mental gymnastics not to think about the future – and, by extension, the present. If this is to be some kind of unwanted swan song, every game now carries extra layers of importance. “I really wanted to be in this Copa America and become champion again,” Paqueta said last month.

He and Brazil are now moving closer together. The Paraguay result means the unexpected draw against Costa Rica is now behind us.

THE Selection The Spaniards can look forward to the final group match against Colombia knowing that a victory would see them progress to the quarter-finals as group winners. A weight has been lifted from them.

For Paqueta, the outlook is more mixed. In this context, one can perhaps understand why his penalty affected him so much.

(Top photo: Frederick J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images)