ROSTOV-ON-DON, Russia — Brazil joined the list of big teams struggling to win their opening matches at the World Cup.

The five-time champions were held to a 1-1 draw by Switzerland on Sunday, a few hours after four-time champion Germany was beaten by Mexico.

Philippe Coutinho gave Brazil the lead in the 20th minute with a volley that bounced in off the right post. Steven Zuber then headed in the equalizer in the 50th. Mexican referee Cesar Ramos dismissed complaints that Zuber had shoved defender Miranda before getting to the corner from Xherdan Shaqiri.

“I was pushed out of the way. There is video of what happened and the referee could have seen it, but it didn’t happen,” Miranda said. “We got a draw but this is only the beginning for us. We knew this game wasn’t going to be easy.”

Ramos also ignored a penalty claim late in the second half when Gabriel Jesus was wrestled to the ground by Switzerland defender Manuel Akanji.

Swiss players ended up with three yellow cards, and 10 of the 14 fouls they committed were on Brazil forward Neymar.

Switzerland Coach Vladimir Petkovic described the incident against Miranda as an “ordinary challenge.” He also dismissed charges that Neymar had been treated harshly.

“Of course, neutralizing Neymar was a key ingredient of our game,” he said.

Switzerland dominated the midfield for long spells against a Brazil team that lost its previous World Cup match 7-1 to Germany in the 2014 semifinals.

“I am proud of their determination,” Petkovic said of his team. “The first 40 minutes were tough for us, and at halftime I told the players to stay cool and press forward. They did and it worked.”

Brazil had won 17 of its 22 matches since Tite took over as coach in 2016.

Tite said he wouldn’t make excuses for the disappointing scoreline.

“What happened with Miranda was clear but it doesn’t explain the result,” Tite said. “There was a lot of pressure and anxiety on the players, and that translated into the finishes that were not precise. We had 20 finishes but we should have make the goalkeeper work harder.

SERBIA 1, COSTA RICA 0: Aleksandar Kolarov scored from a left-footed free kick in the 56th minute and Serbia opened with a victory at Samara, Russia.

After David Guzman was handed a yellow card, Kolarov curled the ensuing free kick over the wall. Goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who plays for Real Madrid, couldn’t reach it.

Serbia, which missed out on the 2014 tournament, had the early advantage in a tough group that includes five-time champion Brazil and Switzerland.

After a scoreless first half, Navas fought off a barrage of challenges to open the second.

The final moments of the game were marked by a squabble on the sidelines as Nemanja Matic got into a tussle with a Costa Rican coach. Players from both teams rushed toward the scrum but it was quickly diffused.

“The Serbians did their homework very well,” Costa Rica Coach Oscar Ramirez said. “We tried to pressure them. And I think it was a tight match. We should have capitalized on our opportunities the same way they did.”

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