Only part of the familiar Samba squad has returned

Written by Shen Mo A dominant 3-0 victory over Haiti earned Brazil all three points, putting them in a strong position to advance and relieving the pressure from their opening draw against Morocco. Vinicius Jr.'s goal helped them surpass Germany to regain the lead in the all-time World Cup scoring chart. Before the World Cup, Brazil topped the list with 237 goals, with Germany close behind at 232. In their first match, Germany thrashed Curaçao 7-1 to reach 239 goals, moving two ahead of Brazil. However, first-half goals from Cunha and Vinicius restored Brazil's status as the world's top scorers.

Ancelotti's decision to rest Neymar again sparked controversy among Brazilian media and fans. Although Neymar had joined full team training, the cautious Italian opted to keep him in New Jersey for individual recovery, hoping he would be ready for the more crucial knockout stages. Meanwhile, Endrick's lack of playing time also drew criticism.

Haiti, ranked 79 places below Brazil, posed little threat to the Samba squad. Since 1974, Brazil has faced Haiti three times, winning all matches with a combined score of 17-1. Their most recent encounter was a 7-1 victory in the group stage of the 2016 Copa América Centenario.

Ancelotti sang the Brazilian national anthem alongside the team to boost morale. Having coached Brazil for a year, he has been taking four Portuguese lessons per week to better integrate with the squad.

Ancelotti fielded a front three of Cunha, Vinicius Jr., and Raphinha. In the first half, Vinicius was the star, involved in all three goals. In the 24th minute, his cut-in shot was saved by Haiti's goalkeeper Placide, but defender Deker deflected the rebound to Cunha, who scored. Twelve minutes later, Vinicius assisted Cunha for his second goal.

Four years ago, Cunha's tearful reaction to being left out of the World Cup squad moved Brazilian football. Two years later, he led Brazil to Olympic gold and won the tournament's Golden Boot. Last season, he performed well at Manchester United (36 games, 10 goals, 2 assists), earning his World Cup spot and proving himself. This marked the first time a Brazilian player scored twice in the first half of a World Cup match since Neymar's double against Cameroon in June 2014.

In the 40th minute, Raphinha was substituted due to injury, and 19-year-old Rayan came on, becoming the sixth youngest player in Brazil's World Cup history. The youngest remains Pelé, who debuted in 1958 at age 17.

In the third minute of first-half stoppage time, Vinicius latched onto a long pass from Paquetá to score a solo goal, making it 3-0. This was Brazil's first three-goal first-half lead since their match against Cameroon in the 2014 World Cup.

Under Ancelotti, Vinicius has seen a clear upturn in form, contributing to nine goals in 12 matches (5 goals, 4 assists)—a 2.67-fold improvement in efficiency compared to his previous 11 goal involvements in 39 games (6 goals, 5 assists). With Neymar absent, Vinicius has become the new attacking focal point.

Brazil's first-half dominance was overwhelming, with Haiti failing to register a single shot—similar to Scotland's performance against Brazil in the 1990 World Cup. With a 3-0 lead and no doubt about the outcome, Ancelotti took the opportunity to give younger players valuable experience.

In the second half, Endrick, Martinelli, Danilo Santos, and Edson Silva (who replaced Wesley) came on, but the team did not add to their tally, opting to "spare their opponents further humiliation."

With the 3-0 win over Haiti, Brazil extended their unbeaten record against CONCACAF teams in the World Cup to nine matches (8 wins, 1 draw). It was also Brazil's 41st World Cup match with at least three goals, surpassing Germany (36). Moreover, they reclaimed their position as the all-time leading scorers in World Cup history.

Globo Esporte noted that Brazil showed glimpses of classic Samba football in the first half but noticeably eased off in the second to avoid injuries and conserve energy.

After two rounds, Brazil and Morocco are tied on four points, with Brazil leading the group on goal difference. In their final group match against Scotland, a single point will guarantee advancement. Fans need not worry about a repeat of the 2016 Copa América Centenario, where Brazil were held 0-0 by Ecuador, thrashed Haiti 7-1, but then shockingly lost 0-1 to Peru to exit the tournament—especially since this time even third place could advance.

Brazil's highest goal tallies in a single World Cup are 22 in 1950, followed by 19 in 1970, 18 in 2002, and 16 in 1958. Notably, Brazil reached the final in all four of those tournaments, winning three. For fans hoping to see Brazil lift the trophy again in the United States—32 years after their last title there—the 3-0 victory over Haiti is seen as a promising omen.

Now, Ancelotti must focus on the knockout stages, deciding how to integrate Neymar and continuing to fine-tune the emerging attacking trio that has already shown its potential.