Brazil played 'well', but some questions remain unanswered

Before the match, there was an 80-place gap in the FIFA rankings between the two teams. Brazil were ranked 5th, while Haiti stood at 85th. Such a big difference makes it difficult to properly assess the strength and maturity of the stronger side. However, their level of dominance can still be evaluated—and in that sense, Brazil earned a near-perfect 100/100 performance against Haiti, despite a few lingering concerns.

Brazil’s display against Morocco had revealed several shortcomings. Ibanez in defence, Casemiro and Paqueta in midfield, and Igor Thiago in attack all came under scrutiny for inconsistent performances.

In response, head coach Carlo Ancelotti made two changes to the starting XI for today’s match. Danilo replaced Ibanez, while Matheus Cunha came in for Igor Thiago. Casemiro and Paqueta were once again given opportunities in midfield.

From a performance perspective, the changes worked well in the first half. Cunha was influential, and Danilo’s strong showing on the right flank ensured Brazil faced no major issues in wide areas.

However, early in the match, the lack of coordination between Paqueta and Casemiro was noticeable. Both appeared somewhat disconnected, and there was little intensity in regaining possession after losing the ball.

As the game progressed, Paqueta improved significantly, while Bruno Guimaraes also played an important role in midfield. Still, concerns remained over Casemiro, who was beaten relatively easily at least twice in the first half—raising questions about Brazil’s midfield stability.

Brazil’s biggest positive from this match, however, was Matheus Cunha. His first goal came somewhat fortuitously, but the second was a brilliant finish. The decision to deploy him as a central forward in a diamond formation added balance and dynamism to Brazil’s attack, particularly benefiting the left flank. Cunha not only contributed offensively but also created space for teammates.

Vinicius Junior once again proved that his strong performance against Morocco was no isolated incident. Against Haiti, he consistently created problems, found solutions, and made a difference for his team. He was directly involved in the first two goals. However, his tendency to overhold the ball may still concern Ancelotti.

In the second half, Brazil became more experimental. At one stage, four forwards were on the pitch simultaneously—Vinicius, Rayan, Endrick, and Gabriel Martinelli.

However, this attacking combination did not produce clear signs of tactical understanding or cohesion. As a result of these experiments, Brazil failed to maintain their dominance in the second half.

Once Paqueta settled into the game, Brazil’s creativity and collective play improved significantly. After his substitution, the team still maintained control of the result, but midfield authority and structured attacking buildup became less consistent.

In the end, a 3–0 victory offers comfort for Brazil, but the match still exposed several flaws. There were misplaced passes and lapses in ball control. Moreover, against a weaker opponent, the expected goal margin and dominance were not fully reflected.

Brazil missed the opportunity to completely assert control in such a fixture. Instead of excessive experimentation in the second half, Ancelotti could have used the match as an ideal platform to build confidence.

Overall, it was neither a perfect performance nor a disappointing one—an average win that secured three important points but left several questions unanswered.