PHILADELPHIA -- Matheus Cunha proved his credentials up front, and Vinicius Jr had a hand in all three goals as Brazil found their stride at the World Cup with a 3-0 win over Haiti. The Real Madrid winger was at his devastating best, scoring and assisting, and has the Selecao well-positioned to top Group C. Haiti, for all of their efforts, are eliminated from the tournament in their first appearance since 1974.
For Brazil, this was a night to remember - and perhaps the first real sign of life after months of uncertainty. Following a long stretch of beta-testing, underwhelming performances, and false starts, the Selecao finally found something resembling World Cup swagger. The signs came early. In the 12th minute, Bruno Guimaraes slipped in Raphinha, who lashed home what would have been a lovely opener, only for the offside flag to cut the celebration short.
It came 10 minutes later - and was far less visually appealing. Vinicius' shot was parried by the keeper. Hannes Delcroix attempted to clear, but his slide found the leg of Cunha, who bundled the ball over the line. Cunha's second was a wonderfully worked thing. Vinicius found Cunha, who ran off the shoulder of the last defender and fired home.
There was time for one more before the half. Vinicius grabbed it. Lucas Paqueta lifted a ball into a concerningly large patch of space. Vinicius scampered into it and tucked into the bottom corner. The only real worry was a presumptive hamstring injury sustained by Raphinha, which will presumably be a major concern for Ancelotti.
The second half didn't quite deliver on drama. Brazil rotated heavily, introducing Endrick and Gabriel Martinelli - the former receiving a rousing ovation from the Brazil-heavy crowd. He thought he had a goal to his name, but saw it ruled off due to offside after a clever finish.
Haiti, for their part, never truly buckled. They haven't been at a World Cup since 1974, but didn't look like a team unfamiliar with the biggest of stages. Brazil, in fairness, just had more quality. For them, this could really be the start of something.
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