Cunha brace and Vinicius send Brazil top of Group C as Haiti go out

Brazil have rediscovered some of their swagger. After being held in their World Cup opener, Carlo Ancelotti’s side swept Haiti aside 3-0 in Philadelphia overnight, a Matheus Cunha brace and a Vinicius Junior strike lifting them to the top of Group C and ending the debutants’ tournament.

It was the response Brazil needed. The 1-1 draw with Morocco on the opening matchday had brought familiar questions about a forward line that flatters without finishing. Against Haiti, the finishing arrived early, and the five-time champions never looked back.

Cunha leads the way

Cunha, handed a start in place of Igor Thiago, opened the scoring in the 23rd minute and added his second in the 36th, either side of a Brazil performance that had Haiti chasing shadows. Vinicius then made it three deep in first-half stoppage time, turning the contest into a procession before the interval.

Haiti, playing in their first World Cup since 1974, had set up to frustrate. The switch from a back five to a flatter 4-4-2 after the break gave them a little more of the ball, but by then the damage was done. Brazil eased off in the second half, the intensity dropping as Ancelotti looked at his bench, and Endrick even had a goal ruled out.

Group C goes to the wire

The win takes Brazil to four points, level with Morocco, who beat Scotland 1-0 on the same matchday. Scotland sit third on three points, and Haiti are out after a second straight defeat. Qualification will now be settled on the final matchday, when Brazil meet Scotland and Morocco face Haiti.

For Ancelotti, the performance answered some of the doubts that had followed the opener without quite silencing them. Brazil were ruthless in the first half and comfortable in the second, which is roughly what a side of their quality should be against the group’s weakest team. The sterner examination comes against Scotland, with top spot in Group C still up for grabs.

Vinicius looked sharper than he had against Morocco, and Cunha’s two goals make a case for keeping his place. The bigger picture is that Brazil are through the early nerves and into the knockout conversation, which is where everyone expected them to be.

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