A moment of pure brilliance from Vinicius Jr saved Brazil from their worst opening match in nearly a century, but the stinging questions left in its wake will not be silenced by a single wonder goal. Trailing Morocco 1-0 at the New Jersey New York Stadium and looking decidedly second best, the five-time world champions were on the brink of losing their first World Cup opener since 1934. Then came the rescue act.
Receiving the ball on the left side of the penalty area from Bruno Guimaraes’ pass, the Real Madrid forward cut back inside onto his right foot before lashing a brilliant strike into the roof of the net. It was a goal fitting for the biggest stage, an outstanding moment of quality that dug his side out of a huge hole. The match finished 1-1, and Brazil avoided ignominy, but the performance left observers unimpressed.
“Vinicius Jr's wonder goal rescues Brazil a 1-1 draw against Morocco in World Cup opener, but ragged performance raises concerns.”
“I am not here to be the best player of the tournament,” Vinicius had said on the eve of the game. “I am here to help Brazil get back to the top.” Yet on this evidence, the team is leaning heavily on his shoulders. Former England captain Alan Shearer described the Brazil display as “ragged”, while South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Sport: “Ideally you want the team to make the stars, here you have a case of the star saving the team.”
Morocco, who took the lead through Ismael Saibari, dominated long spells without adding to their tally. Brazil’s midfield was overrun; Casemiro, 34, showed his age as he toiled in the heat and was replaced at half-time, while defender Roger Ibanez failed to return for the second half as manager Carlo Ancelotti attempted to address the team’s shortcomings. “We were expecting more from them,” said former Uruguay and Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet. “I was surprised how bad technically they were today. They were missing simple passes that you would expect Brazilian players to do well.”
Brazil, seeking a first World Cup triumph since 2002, are still expected to progress from Group C. They face Haiti in Philadelphia on 19 June and Scotland in Miami on 24 June. Fans worried by this performance might remember Argentina losing to Saudi Arabia in their first game four years ago – and then being crowned world champions. This expanded World Cup is more than ever a marathon, not a sprint.
Yet Vickery’s observation cut to the heart of the matter: “This is precisely why Brazil are so dangerous. How many teams can play that badly and still be in the game?” The answer, for now, is one – because they have Vinicius Jr. How long that can last is the question that hangs over this campaign.