Soccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Panama's Michael Murillo in action with Brazil's Alex Telles REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
PORTO, Portugal (Reuters) - Brazil drew 1-1 with Panama in a friendly on Saturday, one of the poorest results and performances by the five-times world champions since Tite took over as coach in mid-2016.
Panama had never scored against Brazil before, losing all four previous meetings and conceding 16 goals in the process.
Midfielder Lucas Paqueta gave Brazil the lead after 31 minutes, but Adolfo Machado equalised four minutes later with a looping header from what looked like an offside position.
Soccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Panama's Adolfo Machado celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Richarlison and Casemiro hit the woodwork in the second half for Brazil but as the game went on Panama looked happy to hang on for the draw against a side who enjoyed 78 percent possession.
Tite, with one eye on the Copa America on home soil in June, opted to give starts to several young players, with Paqueta winning a third cap, defender Eder Militao his second and Porto left back Alex Telles making his debut.
But without Neymar, who is recovering from a foot injury, they lacked the kind of inspiration the Paris St Germain forward so often provides.
Soccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Brazil's Gabriel Jesus in action with Panama's Jan Vargas REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
Brazil travel to Prague to play the Czech Republic on Tuesday.
Soccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Panama's Erick Davis in action with Brazil's Gabriel Jesus REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
(Reporting by Andrew Downie, editing by Ed Osmond)
Soccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Brazil's Richarlison in action with Panama's Erick Davis REUTERS/Pedro NunesSoccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Panama's Luis Mejia in action with Brazil's Richarlison REUTERS/Pedro NunesSoccer Football - International Friendly - Brazil v Panama - Estadio do Dragao, Porto, Portugal - March 23, 2019 Brazil's Fagner in action with Panama's Jose Luis Rodriguez REUTERS/Pedro Nunes
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