IN THE city of independence, Matheus Cunha proved that Carlo Ancelotti can undoubtedly rely on him.
The dialogue surrounding Brazil’s No9 has persisted for years.
Following Ronaldo’s era, players including Luis Fabiano, Fred, Gabriel Jesus, and Richarlison have taken on the role of wearing the No9 jersey at the World Cups.
This time, the responsibility has been passed to the Manchester United forward.
With Neymar absent, Cunha, 27, made a significant impression on his full World Cup debut, starting in Philadelphia against the lesser opponent, Haiti.
Neymar missed the squad for the Morocco match last week as he continues his recovery from a calf injury.
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Neymar chose not to travel the 100 miles south for this match, continuing his recovery at the New York Red Bulls’ training facility.
This prompted a furious response from Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who criticized the No10 for “working from home.”
Nonetheless, the expectation was that his teammates would manage the Caribbean side easily, especially given their past 17-1 aggregate lead over Haiti in three encounters, particularly with a front three comprising Vinicius Junior, Raphinha, and Cunha.
Brazil holds the sixth position in the FIFA world rankings, while Haiti is ranked 85th, making them the first team eliminated from the tournament.
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This matchup presents the largest disparity among any group matches in this tournament, as Brazil faced a lower-ranked opponent only once before—against 105th-ranked North Korea in 2010.
Haiti’s chances diminished further with Alejandro Hernandez appointed as the match referee.
The Spaniard had officiated Haiti’s previous game against Scotland, where they believed critical decisions had gone against them in their quest for their first World Cup point.
Hernandez wasted no time making his presence felt by issuing a yellow card to wing-back Carlens Arcus within just three minutes, followed by controversially awarding Brazil a corner from a slow goal kick—raising eyebrows as Gabriel Magalhaes was on the opposing side…
Raphinha found the net early with a magnificent pass from Bruno Guimaraes; however, the PA operator failed to note the offside call, and celebratory music continued to play.
In the end, the offside flag spared Raphinha’s blushes after he missed a one-on-one opportunity, chipping the ball over the goalkeeper but off-target.
A goal was inevitable and arrived in the 23rd minute when Vinicius’ shot was deflected by Johny Placide into the six-yard box, allowing Cunha to score first.
This may not have been his most visually appealing goal, but it certainly proved to be one of the most important in his career.
Cunha made it 2-0 by the 36th minute when Vinicius executed a fantastic reverse pass, and the former Wolves forward sent a powerful shot into the top corner with his left foot.
Cunha was riding high—evident not just from his surfing celebration.
However, Raphinha appeared to be in discomfort when he limped off, though it remained unclear if it was a serious injury scare or merely precautionary as the match neared its conclusion.
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By half-time, it was clear that Brazil had full control of the match when Vinicius expertly managed Lucas Paqueta’s high pass, sliding the ball past the goalkeeper.
Rayan replaced Raphinha, affirming that eight of the eleven Brazil players had experience in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s keeper Alisson showcased his skills with a quick reflex save, denying Ricardo Ade from a corner header.
Gabriel Martinelli entered the game, adding further Premier League influence, while the double substitution allowed Endrick to gain his first World Cup minutes.
The applause for the 19-year-old Real Madrid forward resonated the loudest among the 68,000-strong crowd, predominantly dressed in yellow.
Martinelli’s attempt hit the crossbar and was flagged offside as he tried to finish a brilliant team play.
Left-back Douglas Santos shot well over the target, while Endrick’s dream debut suffered a minor setback when he was flagged offside after scoring a precise goal by slotting it through Placide’s legs.
Alisson rose to the occasion late in the game, stopping Sunderland’s Wilson Isidor from a challenging angle and also thwarting a long-range effort, amidst attempts from Martinelli to assist Ederson Silva, who ultimately fired wide.
