Cunha’s samba makes Haiti exit stage

It was finally samba time in the United States as Brazil secured their first win in this World Cup that sent them to the top of Group C, while Haiti became the first team to officially be eliminated from the competition. Two goals from forward Matheus Cunha and one from star Vincius Jr meant Brazil went into the half with a 3-0 lead. Despite a good effort from the Haitian players in the second half, they were unable to find the back of the net for the second consecutive game.

Coming into the game at the Philadelphia Stadium, both teams were facing a certain amount of pressure after the initial match day, albeit pressure of different nature. For Haiti, a loss meant they would be the first team to be eliminated, after already losing their first game 1-0 to Scotland.

On the other hand, despite getting a 1-1 draw in their opener against Morocco, the five-time champions Brazil did not show signs of a dominant team that were ready to truly challenge again. The team seemed to still be getting used to new head coach Carlo Ancelotti’s style of play and had a somewhat unimpressive 90 minutes against Morocco.

Ancelotti decided to go with a slightly different starting eleven for this game, as striker Igor Thiago was replaced by Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha, while veteran right back Danilo came in for Roger Ibanez. Thiago, who was selected for the Brazilian squad following a stellar club season with Brentford, had a tough day out during the opener and was clearly struggling to keep up with the speed and intensity of his two wingers, Raphinha and Vinicius Jr.

Haitian head coach Sebastien Migne, perhaps aware of the David vs Goliath nature of the game, set his team in a 5-4-1 defensive formation that should have aimed to defensively smother any space that could be found on the wing by Brazil. However, from the outset of the match, it became clear that despite having 5 players in the back, Haiti’s decision to play a high line would prove to be their undoing. When playing against a team that employs star wingers from Real Madrid and Barcelona respectively, a question must be asked as to why Migne felt a highline was the way to go. A highline is a risky gamble in football because unless your team has the firepower to score more goals than the opposition, you are at a high risk of leaking goals.

The first half saw a complete dominance by the Selecao as Haiti could not even get a shot on target. Two early dangerous runs in behind from Raphinha were flagged for outside, which perhaps gave a momentary justification to playing a highline. But it didn’t take long after for Brazil to find their first in the 23rd minute through Mattheus Cunha. The build up for the goal began with a pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes to Vinicius Jr through the middle of the field. Vinicius, who got the ball at the edge of the box centrally, dribbled it wide to his favoured left side before striking a curler into the hands of goalkeeper Johny Placide.

Unfortunately for Haiti, Placide’s save fell right into the incoming mess of legs between defender Delacroix and Cunha, with the defender hitting the ball onto Cunha’s leg and into the goal. It was less of a product of elite finishing from the forward, but from his signature surfing celebration, it was clear that all that mattered to him was that the ball found its way to the back of the net.

If his first goal was scrappy, his second goal was an absolute beauty of a strike. Again, the assist came from Vinicius Jr, who dribbled the ball up from just beyond the half-way line to set up a perfect opportunity for Cunha. A nice little run across from Cunha was also key in setting up the chance, as Haitian defender Ricardo Ade found himself on the floor trying to track him. A powerful strike with his left foot saw the ball go to the top of the net, and Cunha off to the corner flag to celebrate.

Just before the half-time whistle blew, Vinicius Jr, who was the standout player of the game and the creator of both opportunities, decided to join into the fun himself. After getting the ball in his own half, Lucas Pacqueta took one look up and sent the ball over the top over the Haitian highline. Vincius, who had been waiting at the edge of the highline, found himself in an easy one-on-one with the keeper in the box and he made no mistakes to slot it between Placide’s leg. Again, the goal was a direct result of Migne’s highline, which allows for passes like Pacqueta’s to easily pierce their entire backline and provide a dangerous player, like Vinicius, with an easy opportunity.

The second half was a more quiet affair, as Ancelotti’s men seemed more laidback on the ball and allowed Haiti to have a few opportunities. While the Haitians managed to rack up a few attempts, Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson only found himself really troubled once during a corner. Ancelotti also allowed younger stars like Rayan, Endrick, and Danilo Santos to get some playing time in this half as he seemed to still be trying out different combinations for the upcoming game. Unlike the first half, the only real chance for Brazil in the second half was a goal for Endrick that was ruled offside. As the final whistle blew, the Selecao continued their unbeaten record against CONCACAF teams, while Haiti’s hopes for the knockout rounds were dashed.

Despite their dominant performance, Brazil weren’t without their worries as Rapinha came off in the 39th minute with a hamstring injury. It isn’t clear as of yet how serious his injury is but his absence would leave a hole in the team as they face Scotland in their final group game on June 24th. While today his replacement was young Bournemouth star Rayan, it wouldn’t be surprising if Ancelotti went with the more experienced option of Gabriel Martinelli to start the next game.

Although Brazil are currently the leaders of Group C, their position will come at risk if they are unable to win against Scotland as they currently top the group over Morocco only through goal difference. It wasn’t exactly a vintage performance for the Brazilians, but it should be enough to silence the doubters for a little while longer and give Ancelotti some breathing space. For Haiti, their 2026 World Cup journey will end with their game against Morocco on June 24, but nobody can say that they didn’t go down without a fight. A great performance against Scotland, and a good effort against the giants Brazil, Haiti will be sure to build on this campaign and try to come back stronger for the next edition.