Brazil delivered a victory to ease past Haiti 3-0 in Philadelphia, with Matheus Cunha netting a first-half brace and Vinicius Junior capping off a clinical display.
Following a sluggish draw against Morocco in their opener, Carlo Ancelotti demanded a response. His bold decision to drop Igor Thiago for Manchester United forward Cunha paid immediate dividends. Cunha bundled home the opener in the 23rd minute after Vinicius Junior’s initial effort was parried, surviving a scare after inadvertently catching defender Hannes Delcroix on the follow-through to ensure the goal stood.
There was nothing fortunate about his second, however. Cunha produced a moment of magic, crashing a sensational left-footed strike high into the near post while falling off balance. Vinicius Junior then rolled in a third deep into stoppage time to put the game to bed before the interval.
The only blemish on a routine evening for the five-time champions was a first-half injury to Raphinha. The Barcelona winger was forced off in the 40th minute with a suspected hamstring issue and was later seen with an ice pack strapped to his leg.
Bournemouth’s Rayan deputised for Raphinha, while teenage sensation Endrick was handed his World Cup debut in the second half, having a goal chalked off for offside as Brazil strolled to the finish line.
The result sends Brazil top of Group C on goal difference, setting up a decisive final-round clash against Scotland on Wednesday. Haiti, meanwhile, become the first nation to crash out of the tournament following back-to-back defeats.
Cunha netted two, courtesy photo
Ancelotti rolls the dice, but questions remain Did anyone really doubt Carlo Ancelotti? Under intense pressure to deliver, the iconic manager’s sweeping changes worked wonders.
Deploying Cunha over Thiago injected much-needed fluidity into the Brazilian frontline. The makeshift striker dropped deep, interchanging beautifully with Vinicius Jr and Raphinha to dismantle a naïve Haitian high line. The devastating pace of the front three constantly exploited the space in behind to secure a routine win.
Yet, despite the comprehensive scoreline, Ancelotti will know far sterner tests await. Brazil registered just eight shots, the joint-fourth fewest by any team scoring three or more goals in a World Cup match since 1966. Only two of those efforts came in a pedestrian second half.
Raphinha’s injury also poses a fresh headache. With Neymar still sidelined by a calf problem, Ancelotti may be forced to rely on his youthful bench to inject energy into a side that, at 30 years and 190 days, featured Brazil’s oldest World Cup starting XI since 1962.
Morocco and Paraguay edge wins
Elsewhere, the United States secured their place in the Round of 32, grinding out a 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle. Despite the absence of talisman Christian Pulisic, the USMNT capitalised on an early Australian own goal before Alex Freeman powered home a header to seal the three points in a fiery, hard-fought encounter.
U.S.A won the second match qualifying to the next group stage after defeating Australis 4-1 courtesy photo
In Group C, Morocco held their nerve to secure a 1-0 win over Scotland in Boston following a first-minute strike, drawing level with Brazil at the top of the group. Meanwhile, in a late kickoff, Paraguay snatched a vital 1-0 win against Türkiye.
Upcoming World Cup Fixtures With the group stages rolling on, here are the upcoming fixtures scheduled for this weekend:
