Brazil in total control, passive Scotland pay for their mistakes

It was a magical night for the yellow and blue in Miami as Brazil beat Scotland 3-0 to secure top spot in Group C of 2026 World Cup. A first half-brace from Vinicius Jr and a third added on by Matheus Cunha saw the Selecao breeze past Scotland, who never seemed in control throughout the 90 minutes. The Tartan Army will now have to wait in anticipation until the end of the group stages to see if they will qualify as one of the best third placed teams.

From the first whistle at the Miami Stadium, Brazil were in control of the game. They dictated the tempo of the game, never really giving Scotland a chance to fully get into the game. Ancelotti’s men had a lot of doubts hanging over their head since their opener against Morocco, but if the past two games are any indication, they’re hitting their stride at the right time. Raphina’s hamstring injury in the last game meant that Bournemouth’s Rayan was starting in his place, making the 19-year-old the first teenager to start for Brazil in the World Cup since 1970. Matheus Cunha once again led the attack, in the place of a traditional striker, a decision which has been paying off for Ancelotti.

Brazil started the game off strong, pressuring high against a nervy Scotland defence. Whether it was because of the high stakes of the game or perhaps a natural reaction when facing Brazil, Steve Clarke’s men were much too passive in the opening half. They paid for their passivity early in the game as a mistake by defender Scott McKenna gifted Vinicius Jr an easy goal. In the 6th minute, McKenna received the ball in his own box from his keeper. From there, he had more than enough space to pass the ball to his left-back Andy Robertson and it should have been an easy decision, especially with Rayan pressing him. Instead, McKenna opted to take a few touches and play it centrally, which was shut down by the incoming Rayan, letting the ball roll into the feet of Vinicius Jr. To his credit, Vinicius eases his final strike by deftly taking a touch to get clear of goalkeeper Angus Gunn, after which he just had to roll the ball into the empty net. It was an unfortunate circumstance for Scotland, be a goal down so early against a stronger opposition, but they really had nobody to blame but themselves.

In the 21st minute, Scotland almost went down another goal due to a mistake by McKenna’s defensive partner Jack Hendry but Vinicius’s goal off the mistake was eventually disallowed due to a foul in the build-up. Scotland did have a brief spell of possession after the first hydration break, which goes to show how these new breaks have been able to change the momentum and flow of games by making a 2 half game into more of a quarter system. However, if they had hoped to go back into the tunnel at half-time with only a goal down, Vinicius Jr was there to double down on their worries. It was not a traditional build-up to the goal, but the root of the goal again came from a mistake by the Scottish backline. After foiling a run into the box by Bruno Guimaraes, Andy Robertson’s attempt to clear the ball was intercepted by a sliding effort from Matheus Cunha. After some more poor defending, the ball ended up again with Guimaraes and he lofted the ball perfectly to Vinicius at the far end of the post, who had an easy header to secure his brace.

The second half was largely a continuation of Brazilian dominance, and they solidified their win through Matheus Cunha in the 60th minute. Casemiro’s pass from the half-line found the run-in behind from Bruno Guimaraes, who used his physicality against Kenny McLean to gain control of the ball. It was excellent hold-up play from Guimaraes, who took the attention of the goalkeeper and two defenders, while Cunha made a run behind him. A nice little pass to his right saw Cunha with the ball at his feet, a practically empty net, and the Scottish backline scrambling in vain to stop him. There was no way Cunha was making a mistake from that position and he slotted it in to make it 3-0 for Brazil.

A huge roar erupted in the Miami stadium in the 75th minute, as Neymar Jr made his return in a Brazilian kit for the first time in three years. His inclusion in the squad was a big talking point for the months preceding the World Cup and it was easy to see from the crowd's response that his return was welcomed by everyone. However, it was clear to see that the former star is not yet fully fit as he could be seen struggling to keep up with the pace of the game. It will be interesting to see how Ancelotti incorporates him into the lineup in the knockout rounds and whether Neymar will be able to make an impact on the pitch in what could be his final World Cup.

Brazil could easily have been up 5 or 6 goals if they weren’t wasteful with their attacks, but when you win 3-0, they probably won’t be looking at the game with many regrets. With the win, they’ve successfully won Group C and are on track to face whoever finishes second in Group F, most likely Japan, in the round of 32. On the other hand, Scotland will look back at this game with nothing but regrets. With the results of this game, they currently sit at 6th out of the best 8 third placed teams that would make the knockouts. While they still maintain a good chance of making the next round, their fate is no longer in their own hands. A win for any two out of Czech Republic, DR Congo, Ecuador, or Senegal and any positive result (win or draw) for Cape Verde and Belgium would put their position at stake. All the Tartan Army can do now is hope and pray that the results go their way.