"Who said we've gotten weaker?" Brazil mocks crisis theories, secures 3-0 victory over Haiti with multi-goal performance from Cunha

*This content was translated by AI.

"The eternal favorites," Brazil, have regained their pride. After a frustrating first match, they secured a decisive victory in the second game.

On the 20th (Korean time), Brazil defeated Haiti 3-0 in the second group stage match of the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup Group C, held at the Philadelphia Stadium in Pennsylvania, USA.

Brazil was drawn into Group C alongside Haiti, Morocco, and Scotland. In the first match, they faced Morocco in a battle of pride. Both teams were considered top contenders for first place in the group. In the FIFA rankings, Brazil was ranked 6th and Morocco 7th, a difference of just one position. The match between Brazil and Morocco ended in a 1-1 draw, making the results of the second and third group stage matches crucial for the race for first place in the group.

Morocco had already defeated Scotland 1-0 in their second match. Brazil, too, unleashed a goal storm against Haiti for the first time in a while, securing a major victory. As a result, Brazil recorded one win and one draw (4 points), moving to the top of the group. Morocco, with the same number of points, fell to second place due to a deficit in goal difference. Scotland, with one win and one loss (3 points), sits in third place, while Haiti, with two losses (0 points), faces the threat of elimination from the group stage.

Brazil, the most decorated team in World Cup history with five titles, has recently faced criticism that it is not as strong as in the past. The number of superstars who once dominated the global stage has decreased, and team results have been unsatisfactory. The road to the North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup began with a difficult South American qualifying campaign. Among 10 competing teams, Brazil finished only fifth. Considering Brazil's brand name, this was undoubtedly a disappointing result. However, with the World Cup finals expanding to 48 teams and South America's quota increasing to 6.5 spots, it is not an exaggeration to say that Brazil has already secured its place in the tournament.

In March, Brazil suffered a shocking 1-4 defeat to "rival" Argentina. Consequently, Brazil dismissed former coach Dorival Júnior and appointed world-renowned manager Carlo Ancelotti to restructure the team. Under Ancelotti's guidance, Brazil is challenging for the world title for the first time since the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, 24 years later.

On this day, Coach Ancelotti deployed a 4-1-2-3 formation. Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid), Matheus Cunha (Manchester United), and Haphiny (Barcelona) started as the three forwards. Haiti, acknowledging their inferiority in strength, adopted a 5-4-1 formation and signaled a defensive approach to the match.

However, Brazil's attack was formidable. In the 12th minute of the first half, Haphiny shook the net, but the goal was disallowed for offside. In the 22nd minute, Haphiny found himself in a one-on-one chance against the goalkeeper, but his chip shot narrowly missed the goalpost.

After several attempts, Brazil finally broke the deadlock. The hero was Cunha. A shot from Vinícius from the left side of the penalty box was saved by the goalkeeper, but Cunha, positioned in front of the goal, withstood the defensive pressure and took a shot that found the back of the net.

With the momentum in their favor, Brazil scored an additional goal in the 36th minute of the first half. Once again, it was Cunha. He received a pass from Vinícius and opened the goal with a powerful shot. Although Brazil faced a variable when Haphiny was substituted due to injury in the 40th minute of the first half, they extended their lead to 3-0 in stoppage time. Vinícius recorded his first goal of the tournament with assistance from Lucas Paquetá (West Ham).

In the second half, Haiti tried to change the flow by making substitutions. However, it was difficult to overcome the massive wall that is Brazil. In the 18th minute of the second half, during a corner kick situation, Haiti defender Ricardo Ade (LDU Quito) attempted a decisive header shot. However, it was blocked by a super save from Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson Becker (Liverpool).

As time passed, the victory increasingly favored Brazil. Coach Ancelotti began to manage the players' stamina by bringing on the starting lineup. He introduced forwards Endrick (Olympique Lyonnais) and Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal).

However, luck did not favor additional goals. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Martinelli's shot struck the crossbar. In the 33rd minute, Endrick appeared to score a sealing goal, but the goal was disallowed for offside in the preceding play and was not recognized. Nevertheless, there was no issue with Brazil's victory. Brazil secured a 3-goal margin victory over Haiti, recording their first win of the tournament.

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*This content was translated by AI.