PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Matheus Cunha hit the back of the net and struck a pose, bringing his scoring and surfing dash to Brazil on the World Cup stage.
Five-time champions Brazil eliminated Haiti, with Vinicius Junior scoring and assisting one of Cunha’s two goals. world cup They won 3-0 on Friday night.
“It’s great to be in the World Cup, to imagine it,” Cunha said. “It’s a dream come true.”
Haiti, the Western Hemisphere’s poorest country, qualified for the World Cup for the first time since 1974, but became the first team guaranteed not to advance to the knockout stages in the expanded 48-team tournament. Meanwhile, the Selecao showed the decisive performance they needed.
Manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “This match was as expected.”
Ancelotti also said Neymar has returned from a right calf injury and is scheduled to play for Brazil in next week’s final group game against Scotland. Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading scorer with 79 goals, missed the first two games.
Brazil got plenty of scoring punches from Cunha on Friday.
The Manchester United standout got off to a good start and showed why he should have been in the starting line-up in a languid Brazil as he celebrated every goal with a surf and slide. 1-1 draw Morocco match. Manager Ancelotti made the surprising decision to bring on Cunha as a late substitute in the opening game.
Cunha excited the Brazilian fans, who made up the bulk of the 68,324-strong crowd at Lincoln Financial Field. I tapped on the rebound. His first career World Cup goal. He then fired a left-footed shot into the top left corner to give Haiti a 2-0 lead in the first half.
Brazilian forward Rafinha, who was substituted with an injury in the first half, had an early goal ruled out for offside, but for the rest of the game the yellow-clad Selecao fans were only briefly silenced. festival atmosphere It was the home of the two-time Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, and the cheerleaders played a role in drawing the crowd together.
Haitian fans danced and sang the national team’s traditional battle cry, “Grenadye Alaso” (“Grenadier to Attack”). “A thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals, a thousand goals! Only Pele, only Pele!” shouted Brazilians back, reminding them that their country has won five World Cups and is home to the king of soccer.
Cunha added to the frivolity of Philadelphia, home to nearly 6,000 Brazilian immigrants, by sprinkling in a familiar surf extravaganza.
Vinicius, the 32nd minute goal He helped Brazil draw with Morocco, scoring when Brazil’s shot was stopped by goalkeeper Johnny Placido, and Cunha converted the rebound to make it 1-0. Cunha stretched out his arms as if trying to catch a delicious wave, and was jostled by his teammates.
Vinicius slipped through the defense and passed the ball to Cunha, who fired a powerful shot into the goal, giving Plácido no chance to stop it, making it 2-0. Cunha slipped face down on the Kentucky bluegrass and mimicked the swimming motion, which was intoxicating to Haiti. And justified the Brazilian fan’s decision to dress up and not tempt fate. rocky statue I put on my team gear and headed out of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Vinicius ended the first half with a goal, and it was enough to satisfy Brazil as they aim to win their first World Cup since 2002. Neymar is expected to be in the squad for Wednesday’s game against Scotland in Miami Gardens, Florida, which concludes the Group C fixture.
“He is a very important player. He is my idol,” Vinicius said. “He has always given me a lot of support and we can only hope that he can play in the next game and help us win the World Cup.”
Brazil are level with group leaders Morocco, with Scotland one point behind.
“The first match was completely different because there was pressure because it was my first match,” Vinicius said. “Everyone felt light today, the ground was in good condition, and we were able to play our own soccer.”
For Haiti, just qualifying for the World Cup for the first time in 52 years was a satisfying accomplishment.
“The positive was that we didn’t give up,” coach Sebastien Minet said. “The morale remained the same in the second half. They showed they deserved to be in the World Cup. Unfortunately, today we played against Brazil. There was too much difference.”
___
Associated Press writer Luis Andres Henao contributed to this report.
___
AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup
