Brazil: The good, the bad, and the in between | OneFootball

After Brazil won their first World Cup match against Haiti, Carlo Ancelotti could start concentrating on the knockout stage. However, his side face Scotland in round three with first place still up for grabs in Group C. The Italian will want to make sure he delivers.

Let’s break down Brazil’s good, bad and in between bits of the tournament so far.

The Good: Matheus Cunha and Vinícius Jr.

So, what changed for Brazil? For starters, Ancelotti wasn’t afraid to make changes. The biggest was dropping Brentford’s Igor Thiago. Prolific in the Premier League, yet lacking a punch against Morocco, Ancelotti was keen to recall Matheus Cunha as his forward.

With just one international goal in four years, the Man United player had a point to prove – and he did. Operating as a false nine, the 27-year-old’s off ball movement and relationship with Vinicíus Jr. was the best part of Brazil’s overall performance.

Dropping deep and linking up with not only Vini Jr. but those in behind allowed Raphinha to keep the width and stretch Haiti’s defense. 

After a slow start, Brazil’s players were celebrating as surfers as they went down the tunnel 3-0 up. 

With Ancelotti’s preferred two-man midfield, there’s often been a gap between those in the middle and their forwards, but Cunha bridged that and helped pull Haiti apart. Vinícius Jr. thrived on the left and added to his World Cup tally. The pair were nothing short of impressive.

Haiti or not – these two carried out their job to a high standard.

The Bad: Far from the finished article

The opening 15 minutes weren’t pretty. Neither were the last 45 minutes. Brazil were sloppy and struggled to know how to open up their opponents in the opening exchanges.

It took an incredibly fortunate ricochet before Cunha bundled Brazil’s first over the line. Perhaps it was always going to be a less-classy finish to get them up and firing.

Brazil, although three to the good at half time, offered next to nothing in the second half. Of course, the game was done, but the chase for top spot in Group C wasn’t and goals scored could be the deciding factor.

Ancelotti’s side lacked concentration from a couple of Haiti corners, who grew in confidence as their opponents sat back, and a stronger nation would have got on the scoresheet.

What was learnt from this lethargic second half? Brazil were a little vulnerable when sitting back, while set pieces clearly need some work – especially if they draw the Netherlands in the round of 32

The In Between: Casemiro and Endrick

Ancelotti’s loyalty to Casemiro and willingness to leave Endrick on the bench are two difficult decisions to understand. 

His no.6 (now 34 years old) was caught out time and time against Morocco before being substituted and there were moments against Haiti where he was a passenger and didn’t look all that interested.

Brazilians have been crying out for a more fluid three-man midfield – that should feature Botafogo’s Danilo – yet Casemiro continues to be one of the first names on the teamsheet. If that continues throughout this World Cup, Brazil will fall short in the midfield battle. 

And then we have Endrick. Raring to go and be given a chance, the Real Madrid forward has had less than 20 minutes to date – and Ancelotti’s stubbornness to leave him out is being questioned by the entirety of social media, it seems.

Cunha’s impressive performance will no doubt have kept Endrick out of the XI for longer, but with Raphinha now seemingly out of the tournament due to a recurring hamstring injury, Endrick will no doubt be knocking on the door for minutes against Scotland.

If the minutes don’t come, and an unfit Neymar is brought on ahead of the 19-year-old, Ancelotti is going to face plenty of bewildered journalists once again. Journalists who will no doubt pounce, peppering Carlo with questions designed to make him crack and reveal exactly why the young man isn’t in his plans.

Brazil, on the whole, looked much better against Haiti, and it looks as though Ancelotti is closer than ever to knowing what his starting XI looks like. But will that XI carry him to glory this summer? It doesn’t look entirely convincing just yet.