EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J.— On Saturday afternoon, thousands of Brazil fans, clad in highlighter yellow jerseys, made the trek to MetLife Stadium to watch their team play Morocco in its first game of this World Cup.
They sang on the train in from Manhattan and waved flags and chanted throughout the warm, sunny day.Subscribe to read this story ad-free Get unlimited access to ad-free articles and exclusive content.But after 90 minutes of tense, back-and-forth play that ended in a 1-1 tie, those fans were less than thrilled.“That was a terrible performance,” one said as he left the stadium.
“Terrible!”Soon, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti was sitting at a lectern, taking questions from another tough crowd: the Brazilian media.They peppered him with questions about his starting lineup, his substitution patterns, every tactical decision one could imagine.
“You don’t win a World Cup based on your first match,” Ancelotti said through a FIFA interpreter.Maybe not.But Brazil didn’t look like a world power in the first half.
Morocco’s speed and aggression gave it an early 1-0 lead.In the 21st minute, after a Brazil turnover, Morocco’s Brahim Diaz had the ball near midfield when he saw Ismael Saibari streaking toward the goal, his left arm extended, calling for the ball as if he were a wide receiver.Diaz made a perfect pass, in between two Brazilian defenders but in front of the Brazilian goalkeeper, Alisson Becker.
On his first touch, Saibari chipped the ball over Becker’s head and into the net.Brazil seemed to be playing hesitantly, on the back foot except for left winger Vinícius Júnior.About 10 minutes later, he manufactured a goal on his own, essentially out of thin air.
Vini Jr., as he’s known, received a pass on the left side, with one defender in front of him and two more lurking.He took a touch to his right, around the first defender, and then ripped a powerful shot.
Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou dove, but he never stood a chance....