Are Brazil back in business after World Cup win vs...
Key takeaways
- Scotland - It's (finally) OK to dream big about the USMNT at the World Cup - Can Bielsa's Uruguay stop their World Cup from unraveling?
- And then there's the fact that it was, well, Haiti.
- You can only beat what's in front of you, true, but for many, the jury will still be out.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Haiti? (1:23)
PHILADELPHIA -- Brazil -- as in the entire nation, fans, media and probably even Christ the Redeemer -- was looking for a bounce-back after the disappointment of the 1-1 draw with Morocco in their FIFA World Cup Group C opener last week. (Which, by the way, perhaps should have been more of a contained disappointment, given Brazil, sixth FIFA World Ranking, sit just one spot ahead of Morocco ... but then when you have five stars on your jersey, the bar is set very high.)
They got it with a 3-0 victory against Haiti, wrapping up the game by halftime and seeing some of the most scapegoated players after the Morocco draw either perform considerably better (Lucas Paquetá, Casemiro) or not perform at all, because they were left out altogether (Roger Ibañez, Igor Thiago), which is what public opinion wanted.