Matheus Cunha netted two goals as Brazil secured a dominant 3-0 win over Haiti, positioning themselves at the top of Group C in the World Cup. Vinícius Júnior added a third goal, with all scoring occurring in a first half that showcased Brazil’s significant improvement following their lackluster opening draw against Morocco.
This defeat means Haiti, who previously lost 1-0 to Scotland in their initial match, is now unable to progress to the knockout stage.
Brazil overwhelmed their opponents in the first half, taking advantage of Haiti’s lax defensive approach, which allowed Cunha, Raphinha, and Vinícius to exploit spaces behind their backline.
Raphinha had an early goal in the 12th minute disallowed due to offside. After receiving a through-ball from Bruno Guimarães, the Barcelona forward finished cleanly, only for the assistant referee to flag him for being slightly offside.
Ten minutes later, Raphinha found himself clear on goal again but failed to convert, as his shot went wide and the linesman’s flag was raised once more.
The scoring opened for Brazil when Cunha struck in the 27th minute. Vinícius made a move from the left side, his curling shot was parried by Haiti’s goalkeeper, Johny Placide, setting up an easy tap-in for the Manchester United forward.
Cunha found the net for a second time in the 36th minute after Haiti lost possession in midfield. Vinícius assisted him, and Cunha fired a powerful shot into the top corner.
The five-time champions suffered a setback just before halftime when Raphinha left the field due to what appeared to be a hamstring injury, with Bournemouth’s Rayan coming on as his replacement.
In stoppage time, Vinícius transitioned from a playmaker to a scorer, receiving a lofted pass from Lucas Paquetá and placing the ball past the helpless Placide.
After the break, Haiti finally registered their first shot in the 48th minute when Danilo lost possession. Wilson Isidor, who had come on as a substitute, aimed a weak shot at Alisson.
Alisson, however, thwarted Haiti’s hopes of scoring their first World Cup goal since 1974 with a brilliant save, denying Ricardo Adé’s header from a corner.
Haiti’s Jean-Kévin Duverne sent an effort wide, while Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli saw a shot tipped onto the crossbar by Placide.
Douglas Santos shot over the bar, Endrick had a goal disallowed for offside, and Ederson missed a good opportunity as Brazil failed to extend their lead in the second half.
Isidor forced a superb save from Alisson, and a late attempt from Dominique Simon was also denied by the Liverpool keeper, as Haiti became the first team eliminated from this year’s tournament.
