Brazil 3-0 Haiti: Matheus Cunha brace kick-starts Selecao campaign as Haiti bow out
Matheus Cunha scored twice and Vinicius Junior starred as Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil eased past Haiti 3-0 in Philadelphia to move top of World Cup Group C.
A devastating first-half blitz in Philadelphia saw five-time champions Brazil ignite their World Cup campaign, ruthlessly dispatching a plucky but overmatched Haiti side 3-0. Carlo Ancelotti’s men had faced stinging criticism following their opening-day stalemate with Morocco, but they answered their detractors in style to move top of Group C on goal difference.
Ancelotti raised eyebrows before kick-off by dropping Brentford striker Igor Thiago in favour of Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha. It took a mere 23 minutes for that gamble to pay handsome dividends. Vinicius Junior orchestrated the breakthrough, driving inward and unleashing a stinging effort that Caribbean goalkeeper Johny Placide failed to smother. Seizing upon the loose ball, Cunha reacted with predatory instincts to slide home his first career World Cup goal, despite frantic Haitian protests over an accidental clip on defender Hannes Delcroix.
If there was an element of fortune about the opener, Brazil’s second 13 minutes later was a product of pure Selecao synergy. Lucas Paqueta pinched possession from a tracking Haitian midfield, enabling Vinicius Junior to slide a perfectly weighted reverse pass into the 18-yard box. Arriving at speed, Cunha didn’t hesitate, lashing a blistering left-footed strike into the roof of the net as he fell off-balance. The goal carried a historical significance, moving Brazil past Germany as the highest-scoring nation in World Cup history with 240 goals.
The match was effectively settled as a contest deep into first-half stoppage time. Turning from provider to executioner, Vinicius Junior read Paqueta’s lofted delivery over the top of the static Haitian defence with expert precision. The Real Madrid superstar calmly controlled the ball in mid-stride before effortlessly slipping it underneath the onrushing Placide to cap off a commanding half of football.
The only cloud on Brazil’s afternoon arrived just before the interval when Barcelona winger Raphinha was forced off with a hamstring injury, replaced by Bournemouth’s Rayan. With the points secured, the South Americans operated in third gear after the break. Substitute Gabriel Martinelli came agonizingly close to adding a fourth, rattling the crossbar following a sumptuous roll-back from Vinicius, while teenage prodigy Endrick made his tournament debut and saw a late goal correctly chalked off for offside.
For Haiti, playing in their first World Cup finals in 52 years, a second consecutive defeat confirms their mathematical elimination from the tournament. Sebastien Migne’s side battled admirably, even forcing Alisson Becker into a fine fingertips save from Dominique Simon’s late long-range effort, but they ultimately lacked the quality to match Brazil’s star-studded lineup. Brazil now look toward Wednesday’s critical showdown against Scotland in Miami to lock down top spot, while Haiti will play for pride against Morocco in their final group fixture
