In Brazil, football is more than just a game; it’s an art form where victory must be accompanied by style. This deep-seated expectation for joga bonito, or ‘beautiful play,’ is so ingrained that even after winning the 1994 World Cup in the United States, ending a 24-year drought, coach Carlos Alberto Parreira faced criticism for his team’s perceived dull performance, particularly in the final against Italy. From journalists to ardent supporters, and even his own mother, the demand for both a compelling result and an elegant manner of play remains paramount.

The Seleção faithful anticipate not only decisive wins but also dazzling football every time their gold-and-green clad players step onto the pitch. On Friday in Philadelphia, the Brazilian squad delivered both – for one half, at least – in their 3-0 triumph over Haiti.

Brazilian coach Carlo Ancelotti, an Italian strategist, introduced a significant change to his starting lineup’s attack, replacing Igor Thiago, who started in the 1-1 draw against Morocco, with Matheus Cunha. This tactical adjustment quickly paid dividends.

The Manchester United forward found the back of the net just before the initial hydration break, cleverly redirecting a botched clearance from a shot by his teammate Vinícius Jr.

Cunha struck again with a powerful left-footed shot into the top corner, another goal brilliantly set up by Vini Jr., giving him the perfect opportunity to showcase his signature surfer celebration to the world.

The lightning-quick Vini Jr. then turned goalscorer himself before halftime, expertly slipping behind a somewhat naive Haitian defensive line thanks to a well-placed lobbed pass from Lucas Paquetá, who appeared to be in much better form than during the initial Group C match against Morocco.

The stands were buzzing with anticipation, many expecting Brazil to inflict a similar fate on Haiti as Canada had on Qatar the previous day. This seemed especially likely given that the Grenadiers, known for their robust play, had already received a yellow card in the fourth minute. However, they avoided a red card, and their coach Sébastien Migné wisely switched from a five-man defense to a four-man setup, adopting a deeper block and a more compact midfield. This strategic shift effectively stemmed the bleeding and limited further damage.

The Haitians did not simply ‘park the bus’ in front of their goal, as the defensive cliché goes, waiting for the storm to pass. Instead, they continued to play direct and determined football, though with greater tactical awareness than in the first half. Facing Brazil demands a different approach than confronting Costa Rica.

Brazil’s somewhat subdued second half can be attributed both to a slight dip in their intensity and Haiti’s effective strategy in containing the ‘Auriverde’ attack. Brazil was also forced to play without the injured Raphinha, who left the right flank in the 40th minute. This was no minor detail; the Brazilian winger had an exceptional club season with FC Barcelona, boasting 34 goals and 22 assists.

Neymar, still sidelined with an injury, did not even travel with the squad to Philadelphia. One might wonder if Ancelotti would have been better off selecting João Pedro, who has been incisive for Chelsea this season, in his place.

Brazil’s first foreign coach undoubtedly avoided a major controversy: benching a 34-year-old Neymar, despite his intermittent injury struggles over the past decade, would have been perceived by some Brazilian journalists and fans as an act of lèse-majesté.

Following a challenging match against Morocco, Brazil might regret not having scored more goals, failing to widen their goal differential ahead of their final group stage match. The Brazilians couldn’t capitalize on several communication errors between Haitian defenders and goalkeeper Johny Placide.

Haiti did create a few scoring opportunities, notably from a slick one-two between Martin Expérience and his teammate Pierrot, which led to the Grenadiers’ first corner. They nearly scored from their second corner after the hour mark, but Brazilian goalkeeper Alisson remained vigilant.

Haiti became the first nation eliminated from this World Cup on Friday. For the Grenadiers, the crucial match was against Scotland, where they pushed the Scots to the very end before ultimately losing 1-0. They have no reason to be ashamed of being eliminated in only their second World Cup appearance by the nation that has won the competition more times than any other.

Haiti will play for pride on Wednesday against the formidable Moroccan squad, who were semi-finalists in the 2022 World Cup. This match will be closely watched by members of their respective diasporas in Québec, coinciding with our national holiday.

In 1974, Haiti lost all three of its group stage matches: 3-1 to Italy, a crushing 7-0 to Poland (52 years to the day before this defeat against Brazil), and 4-1 to Argentina. Emmanuel Sanon scored both of the Grenadiers’ goals in that tournament. Will there be a new Haitian World Cup goalscorer on Wednesday?

The Brazilians, five-time world champions who were eliminated in the quarter-finals by Croatia in 2022, haven’t lifted the trophy since 2002, the era of the formidable ‘3Rs’: Ronaldo, Rivaldo, and Ronaldinho. This represents their longest drought since the one following Pelé’s second triumph in 1970. They are ‘due,’ as the saying went before the penalty shootout in the 1994 final at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Are they ready to win, and this time, with panache?