Photo by Bibhash Lodh (BS News Agency).
Bibhqsh Lodh, BS News Agency, Philadelphia Stadium: Despite playing a bit of slow football at the beginning, Brazil took control of the entire match as time passed. Vinicius Junior's extraordinary finish in added time after Cunha's double gave the Seleção a 3-0 lead at halftime.
Brazil did not have a smooth start against Haiti in the 2026 World Cup 'C' group match at Philadelphia Stadium. Carlo Ancelotti's team was seen playing a bit of haphazard football in the first 20 minutes. However, the five-time world champions got back into rhythm after scoring the first goal in the 23rd minute of the match. Mateusz Cunha received the ball from close range after an attack created by Lucas Paqueta's pass and put it into the net.
Despite the somewhat chaotic situation, the goal gave Brazil confidence. Then in the 36th minute, Brazil struck again. This time, Cunha ran in from a great pass from Vinicius Junior and scored his second goal with a powerful shot. After this goal, Brazil completely took control of the match. The most interesting moment came towards the end of the first half. In the second minute of added time, Vinicius Junior broke through the defense on Lucas Paqueta's excellent through pass. He coolly put the ball in the net in front of goalkeeper Placido to give Brazil a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Rafinha left the field injured in the 39th minute of the match. Ryan came on as his replacement. Which has become a cause for some concern in the Brazil camp.
In the first half, Brazil was ahead in all aspects of possession, attack, shot. Although Haiti tried a few attacks, they could not pose much of a threat.
Total shots: Brazil 9, Haiti 8. Shots on target: Brazil 5, Haiti 4
Ball possession: Brazil 57%, Haiti 43%
Corners: Brazil 4, Haiti 4
The statistics clearly show that although Brazil had a slight advantage in ball possession, Haiti did not give up at all in attacking the goal. Especially in the ratio of corners and on-target shots, they were on par with the world champions. In the 66th minute of the match, Haitian striker Ruben Providence's powerful right-footed shot from 15 meters away was deflected by the Brazilian defense and went just wide of the post. If it had been a goal, the fate of the match could have been different.
In addition, the way Josué Casemiro returned to the field, overcoming the fear of injury, and put pressure on Brazilian defenders Marquinhos and Gabriel Magahayes was worth watching. In midfield, Danly Jean-Jacques and Jean-Richard Belgarde put the physical football of stars like Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro to the test. Haiti could have scored at least 1 or 2 goals in this match if not for several excellent saves from Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker.