Philadelphia was painted yellow as Brazil fans flooded into the city in their tens of thousands, waving replica World Cup trophies and watching Ronaldinho in the crowd. Two goals by Matheus Cunha and another lovely finish by Vinicius Jr – all before half-time – ensured Brazil secured a 3-0 win over Haiti in their second World Cup group game. But while the scoreline suggested dominance, the performance raised familiar questions.
"We were much better first half. In the second half, they had little bit more control, but we had opportunities to score more goals. All in all it was a good match," said Carlo Ancelotti, who was appointed in May 2025 to end Brazil's long wait for a sixth world title.
“Brazil beat Haiti 3-0 but faded after half-time, sparking doubts as rivals impress at World Cup.”
Yet after a bright start, Brazil faded dramatically. They failed to register an attempt on target in the second half, while Haiti – ranked 87th in the world and the first team eliminated from the tournament – had seven shots to Brazil's two. The Selecao's eight shots in the match were the joint-fourth fewest on record (since 1966) by any team to score at least three goals in a World Cup game. This came after an uninspiring 1-1 draw with Morocco in their opening Group C fixture.
"We'll see," Ancelotti said when asked if Cunha would remain as centre-forward for the next match against Scotland in Miami. "I think that Matheus' position was a good position for creating problems for the defence. And he filtered his passes very well, and his position was a good position to be effective at the front. It can be an option."
Cunha, the 27-year-old Manchester United forward, broke the deadlock in the 23rd minute after a sluggish start, then doubled the lead in the 36th. Vinicius Jr added a third deep into first-half stoppage time. Brazilian media were effusive in their praise. Correio Braziliense declared: "He showed why he is considered indispensable. Although he wears the No. 9 shirt, he is far from being a classic centre forward. He leaves the area, participates in the build-up play and brings the different sectors closer together." O Globo's panel of writers and columnists named Cunha the standout performer, with one writer noting: "He came into the team and did everything that was expected of him after a great season with Manchester United."
Still, the second-half flatness leaves a lingering doubt. While rivals Argentina and France have impressed in the United States, Brazil have four points from two games and are expected to advance to the last-32 stage. But with Haiti having so many shots and Brazil so few after the break, the question remains: will the real Brazil ever show up?