Vinicius involved in all 3 goals. Why Brazil defeated Haiti 3-0

Chapter 1: What Brazil wanted was a win and a sense of progress in the front line

Brazil 3-0 Haiti.

After drawing with Morocco in their first match, Brazil secured their first win of the tournament.

The goals were scored by Matheus Cunha, who had two.

Vinicius Junior had one.

Looking only at the numbers, it was a match where the forwards scored as expected.

However, the star of the day cannot be narrowed down to just one person.

Cunha did his job in front of the goal.

Vinicius attacked from the left flank, moved into the center, and was involved in all three goals.

In the second half, Alisson stopped a decisive shot when the momentum was starting to shift toward Haiti.

Brazil did not win by relying solely on their attack.

They scored at the necessary times, defended during dangerous moments, and connected that to a 3-0 result.

Chapter 2: The disallowed goal indicated the direction of the match

Brazil pressured Haiti from the very beginning.

In the 12th minute, Raphinha broke through on the right side and found the net with his left foot.

However, the ruling was offside.

It did not count as a goal.

Even so, Brazil's intentions were evident in this play.

Draw the opponent to one side, and have a player on the opposite side run into the space behind.

Don't just move the ball laterally; aim for the space behind the defensive line.

Haiti had enough players in defense, but the amount of time they were forced to shift left and right increased.

It felt like Brazil could score at any moment.

That atmosphere was gradually spreading across the pitch.

Chapter 3: Vinícius's vertical attack that led to the opening goal

In the 23rd minute, Brazil took the lead.

Vinícius, with the ball on the left flank, cut inside and took a shot.

A Haitian defender tried to deal with the ball parried by the goalkeeper.

However, the clearance hit Cunha, who was in front of the goal, and went straight into the net.

The goal is credited to Cunha.

At first glance, it might look like a bit of a lucky goal.

However, it was preceded by Vinícius's attacking move.

Dribbling toward the opposing defender and entering the penalty area.

Taking a shot and forcing the goalkeeper to make a play.

Something is bound to happen in front of the goal.

The goalkeeper parries it.

The defender's clearance goes awry.

A loose ball is created.

It was precisely because Vinícius shifted the opponent's defense that the ball rolled in front of Cunha.

Chapter 4: The significance of Cunha being in front of the goal

The opening goal was not just a matter of the ball accidentally hitting Cunha's foot.

What is important is that Cunha had closed in on the front of the goal.

The moment Vinícius took the shot, he didn't just watch the play; he moved toward the goal.

Considering the possibility of the goalkeeper spilling the ball, he took a position ahead of the defenders.

This movement is required of a center forward.

You don't have to perform flashy dribbles.

You don't have to take powerful shots.

You just have to keep entering the areas where a goal is likely to be born.

Cunha secured his first World Cup goal for the Brazilian national team there.

Chapter 5: The second goal was a classic Brazilian counterattack

In the 36th minute, Brazil scored an additional goal.

They absorbed Haiti's attack and won the ball.

From there, Vinícius carried the ball up the center.

He drew the opponent in front of him and played a through ball to Cunha, who was running to the left.

Cunha swung his left foot from the left side of the penalty area.

The shot pierced the near-high corner.

The 'near' side is the side closest to the ball from the goalkeeper's perspective.

'High' refers to the upper part of the goal.

When a shot is struck powerfully into the high corner on the near side, the goalkeeper has almost no time to react.

The first goal was a follow-up in front of the goal.

The second goal was a powerful shot after breaking through.

Even though both were Cunha's goals, the patterns were completely different.

These were two goals that showed his range as a striker.

Chapter 6: Vinícius moving inside caused confusion in the defense

Vinícius is a left-sided player.

He is well known for receiving the ball near the touchline and dribbling past opponents.

However, for the second goal, he carried the ball through the center.

This movement made things difficult for Haiti's defense.

If he is on the wing, the full-back can handle him.

If he moves inside, the midfielders or center-backs must also step out to meet him.

Who is going to mark Vinícius?

Who will track Cunha's run?

A moment of hesitation arises.

Because Vinícius can aim for a shot himself, the defense cannot leave him alone.

If the opponent closes in, the passing lane to Cunha opens up.

The second goal was also one that exploited a defensive gap caused by being wary of Vinícius's ability to break through.

Chapter 7: The third goal just before halftime made things even tougher for Haiti

Even after conceding two goals, Haiti did not significantly break their defensive shape.

They kept the players close together to prevent Brazil from making easy vertical passes.

When they won the ball, they moved it quickly into the space behind Brazil's advancing full-backs.

Their objective was clear.

However, the final pass into the box did not connect.

Even when they managed to push Brazil's defense back, they couldn't turn it into a shot.

If they could have finished the first half with just those two goals conceded, they would have still had a chance in the second half.

However, in the 45+3rd minute.

From a momentary lapse, Vinícius slipped in behind the defense.

He finished calmly, making it 3-0.

For Haiti, it was a goal conceded at the time they wanted to avoid most.

Chapter 8: Vinicius was involved in all 3 goals in different ways

Vinicius recorded 1 goal and 1 assist.

Furthermore, the opening goal also originated from his own shot.

His involvement in the three goals was different in each case.

For the first goal, he cut in from the left side and took a shot.

For the second goal, he carried the ball through the center and played a through ball to Cunha.

For the third goal, he made a run in behind himself and finished it.

It wasn't just about his dribbling.

His shooting.

His final passes.

His runs in behind.

On this day, Vinicius served as both the entry point and the exit point for the attack.

From the opponent's perspective, you couldn't feel safe even if you forced him wide.

It was dangerous if he moved into the center.

It was difficult to stop him even when he ran in behind.

No matter where he moved, there was a possibility it would lead to a goal.

Chapter 9: Cunha's 2 goals are significant for Brazil

Cunha's opening goal was his second overall for the Brazilian national team.

It was his first goal in the World Cup.

From there, in a short amount of time, he added another.

There are always high expectations for Brazil's center forward.

In the past, there were powerful strikers like Ronaldo, Romario, and Adriano.

Just being compared to them is a heavy burden.

In this match, Cunha delivered results with both his movement to close in on the goal and his movement to get behind the defense.

Cunha converts the chances created by Vinicius into goals.

If this combination becomes established, Brazil's attack will become even more dangerous.

Chapter 10: Haiti did not lose their way of playing despite conceding 3 goals

Haiti, who finished the first half down 0-3, changed to a two-striker formation in the second half.

To score, they increased the number of players in positions closer to the goal.

They would not let the match end with just defense.

It was a change that showed that determination.

In the 63rd minute, Ricardo Adé connected with a header from a left corner kick.

A powerful header shot.

For Haiti, it was the moment they came closest to scoring in this match.

However, Alisson blocked it with one hand.

The goal difference was three.

Even so, Alisson did not lose his focus.

The reason Brazil was able to finish with a clean sheet was not just because of the defense, but because Alisson stood tall at the end.

Chapter 11: The final pass that Haiti lacked

It is not that Haiti was unable to attack at all.

They sent balls into the space behind Brazil's advancing full-backs and moved forward from both flanks.

Towards the end, the number of times they entered the penalty area with dribbles also increased.

However, they lacked precision just before the shot.

Passes did not reach the spots where teammates were running.

Crosses hit the defenders.

By the time they reached the front of the goal, Brazil's defense had already returned.

In attack, just moving the ball forward does not result in a goal.

Where to pass at the very end.

At what timing to send in a cross.

Who should enter the front of the goal.

Haiti moved forward with courage, but they could not connect that final pass.

Chapter 12: Even at 3-0, challenges remain for Brazil

Brazil won convincingly.

3 goals.

Clean sheet.

Vinicius and Cunha delivered results.

In terms of content, it was a match with many positive takeaways.

However, in the knockout stages, they will face opponents with higher defensive intensity than Haiti.

When Vinicius cannot face forward.

When there is no space for counterattacks.

When the opponent drops back and packs the center.

It is still unclear whether they can score in those situations.

How much Raphinha and the midfielders can contribute to scoring.

Whether they can make a difference from set pieces.

Not placing the burden solely on Vinicius is also necessary to win the tournament.

Chapter 13: Group C remains unpredictable until the final matchday

Brazil has 4 points after two matches.

Morocco also has 4 points.

Scotland has 3 points.

The final standings are not yet decided until the last matchday.

Brazil's opponent is Scotland.

Scotland may be eliminated from the tournament if they lose, so they will come into this match with strong determination.

Morocco plays against Haiti.

For Brazil, this is a match they want to win to secure the top spot.

It is not guaranteed that they will be able to take control early on as they did against Haiti.

Can they absorb the opponent's momentum and pull the game back into their own rhythm?

That is where Brazil's true stability will be tested.

📘 To enjoy the Japan national team even more

I have also written a book to help you enjoy the Japan national team more during this World Cup.

The theme is why the Japan national team has become stronger.

I have summarized the selection of the 26-man Moriyasu Japan squad, tactical analysis, and the path to victory for reaching the quarterfinals in the 2026 World Cup as clearly as possible.

"Why was this player selected?"

"Why do they defend in this formation?"

"Where are they trying to win the ball?"

Once you can see that far, watching Japan national team matches becomes even more interesting.

▼ Click here for the book to support the Japan national team

📚 There are also books related to the World Cup

Host country.

Travel distance.

Time difference.

Heat.

Tactics.

AI.

Data.

Even before the matches begin, there are many interesting points about the World Cup.

▼ Click here for World Cup related books

Chapter 14: Brazil's attack started with Vinicius and ended with Cunha

Looking back at Brazil's three goals, they all began with the presence of Vinicius.

Cutting in from the left to shoot.

Carrying the ball through the center and delivering a through ball.

Finally, making a run behind the defense himself to score.

Alongside him, Cunha kept making runs into the front of the goal.

Pouncing on a loose ball to tap it in.

Breaking through to receive a pass and smashing it into the near top corner.

One player moves the opponent, and the other uses the space that opens up.

This relationship made Brazil's attack easy to understand.

240 goals in total.

Brazil is considered to have surpassed Germany as the highest-scoring nation in World Cup history.

Three new goals added to that history.

However, the tournament has only just begun.

What they truly want is not records, but the championship.

Will the coordination between Vinicius and Cunha work against even stronger opponents?

The next match against Scotland will be the game to see that answer.

From just watching football to understanding and talking about it.

Leo Costa Football Analysis Room