Home
+
Published : 15 Jun 2026, 01:12 AM
Brazil's World Cup campaign was barely 90 minutes old before the national emergency sirens began wailing, with a flat 1-1 draw with Morocco in New Jersey leaving fans fretful, pundits furious and coach Carlo Ancelotti under pressure to grab the repair kit.
Vinicius Jr's flash of individual brilliance rescued a point for the five-times world champions but did little to disguise a performance that Brazil's demanding football public greeted with alarm, especially after a first half widely savaged as dreadful.
The heaviest criticism was aimed at right back Roger Ibanez, midfielder Lucas Paqueta, striker Igor Thiago and defensive midfielder Casemiro, though Italian Ancelotti was hardly spared as his selection and tactical plan came under fierce scrutiny.
Paulo Vinicius Coelho, a columnist for website UOL, was especially cutting about Casemiro, describing him as "as slow as an old truck trying to climb a narrow road up the Pyrenees".
He also criticised Ancelotti for starting striker Igor Thiago instead of Matheus Cunha, who came on in the second half and helped inject some badly needed life into Brazil.
Mauro Beting, writing in the newspaper O Estado de Sao Paulo, struck a similar note. "We had more luck than sense, mostly due to Ancelotti's unfortunate choices," he wrote.
Fabio Franca, host of the BandNews radio station, went further, calling Brazil's first-half display "the worst 45 minutes Brazil have played at a World Cup since the 7-1 thrashing by Germany in the 2014 semi-final".
Brazil Suffer ‘Chaotic Period’
O Globo newspaper columnist Carlos Eduardo Mansur said Brazil looked disjointed and unprepared.
"Brazil looked like a team that hadn't put in much work and had been through a chaotic period. Their defending was poor, and they were overwhelmed," Mansur wrote, also arguing that Thiago "contributes little in open play" and questioning Raphinha's lack of incision.
Former Brazil midfielder Felipe Melo, now a pundit on SporTV's late show Selecao Copa, was blunt about Ancelotti's starting side.
"Ancelotti is one of the greatest managers in history, but he cannot afford to let mistakes slip by. He fielded the wrong starting 11. Ibanez shouldn't have been in the starting lineup," Melo said.
He added that Fabinho, introduced at halftime for a struggling Casemiro, "simply dominated the midfield".
ESPN commentator Ubiratan Leal compared Brazil's shaky start to Argentina's defeat by Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup, after which coach Lionel Scaloni made swift changes and eventually won the tournament.
"Ancelotti will need to follow Scaloni's example," Leal said. "In a World Cup you must act quickly."
For Brazil, chasing a sixth title after 24 years of frustration, the message from home was unmistakable: the opening wobble may be survivable but only if Ancelotti moves fast.
They next face Haiti, who lost 1-0 to Scotland in their Group C opener, on Friday followed by the Scots on Jun 24.
