There is a certain electricity that courses through the Seleção when they decide to stop toying with the opposition and simply put them to the sword...
There is a certain electricity that courses through the Seleção when they decide to stop toying with the opposition and simply put them to the sword. After a frustrating opening night against Morocco, where Brazil looked as though they were playing in treacle, the reaction against Haiti was emphatic, brutal, and beautifully direct. It was a performance that screamed of a team that had spent the previous few days in a huddle, being told some hard truths. And who better to deliver the first killer blow than Matheus CunhaThe Wolverhampton Wanderers striker, so often a hard working cog in a star studded machine, reminded everyone that he can be the main man. His quickfire double inside the first half hour was the kind of sharp, predatory finishing that Brazil have sometimes lacked on the biggest stages. The first was a poacher's effort, reacting quickest in a goalmouth scramble when Haiti's low block stubbornly held firm. The second was pure technique, a curled effort from the edge of the area that nestled into the far corner and left the Haitian goalkeeper with no chance. That goal killed the game stone dead. Haiti, to their credit, tried to stay in the contest, but after their narrow loss to Scotland, the air just drained out of them. Once Vinícius Júnior added a third with a trademark run and finish before the break, the contest was over. It was squeaky bum time only for the Haitian defenders, who spent the second half chasing shadows.This was not just about the scoreline, however. It was about the tactical flexibility Brazil showed. Against Morocco, they were static and predictable. Here, they were fluid, with Cunha dropping deep to link play and allowing Vinícius the space to drift inside. The midfield finally found a rhythm, recycling possession with purpose rather than just for the sake of it. For Haiti, the dream is over. They can no longer reach the knockout phase, and that is a shame given the passion they showed here. But let's be honest, they were up against a side that has finally woken up. Brazil are now top of Group C, and if this is the standard they have set, the rest of the group should be worried. The beautiful game is back, and it is wearing yellow.GoalZaza's man of the match had to be Cunha, but the real winner was the collective spirit that had been missing. The question now is whether they can maintain this intensity when the pressure cranks up in the knockout rounds. If they can, we might be looking at a very different Brazil than the one that stumbled out of the blocks. They have finally swept into form. Just in time.
