Brazil 1-1 Morocco: Carlo Ancelotti’s lop-sided and spineless side will have to improve if they are to win the World Cup… they can’t just rely on Vinicius Jnr’s brilliance, writes IAN LADYMAN

Brazil haven’t lost their opening match of the World Cup since 1934, and it was only the brilliance of Real Madrid star Vinicius Junior that saved them in New Jersey.

All of Carlo Ancelotti’s nightmares came true in MetLife’s opening half-hour as AFCON champions Morocco took the lead and threatened to wipe the five-time champion from the planet.

The great Italian coach perhaps knew he was taking a risk by pairing 34-year-old Casemiro with Newcastle’s Bruno Guimaraes in the heart of his midfield as the temperature soared to 90 degrees at kick-off.

And Brazil were one point behind and held on relentlessly as Vini Jnr scored the goal of the World Cup so far, firing a powerful shot inside into the far corner on 32 minutes to send the large South American contingent into a frenzy.

Ancelotti called the substitutions at half-time trying to wrap things up and the second half was largely uneventful. They were better. Considering the way the game started for Brazil, the draw was a good result and meant they could still challenge for top spot in this group, which could be crucial.

Morocco is a good team and should not be underestimated. They were semi-finalists in Qatar in 2022, where they showed that they too can go a long way into this tournament by playing with confidence and freedom.

Brazil will need to be much better than this to make an impact of their own. This was not the opening effort from a team with a realistic chance of winning the World Cup for the first time since 2002.

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Morocco took the lead with Ismael Saibari’s superb finish before Vinicius Jnr’s equalizer

VINI CAPTURES THE JNR MOMENT

The great Brazilian forward will celebrate his 26th birthday eight days before the end of the tournament and feels he needs to be at his best if he wants to have fun with his teammates in America.

Vini Jnr said in a press conference in the lead-up to this game that he felt it was now his time to shine and that he was making the most of the competition to save his teammates from the brink of World Cup disaster.

Afterwards, Ancelotti paid tribute and said: ‘I think he has everything he can to have a great World Cup.’

Certainly Vini Jnr’s goal was as beautiful as it was important.

Brazil were a goal behind after Ismael Saibari’s 21st-minute goal, with Morocco pushing ahead seemingly of their own accord. But just as the Brazilians in the stands began to grow restless, Vini Jnr took control of the ball on the left, passing through Neil El Aynaoui and curling the ball powerfully over the keeper and into the top corner.

My goal was to save a game and galvanize a nation, and there were other moments of inspiration from a player who looked and spoke as if he had come to America to be voted the best player in the world.

The problem he faces is that he will need ten more players to help him.

Vinicius Jnr scored a sensational solo goal to save his side after a fiery first-half display

A TEAM OR A COLLECTION OF INDIVIDUALS?

Ancelotti later admitted his team was nervous and predicted the improvement would come.

“I think it was a tough match, especially in the first half,” said the great Italian coach.

‘Maybe the team was a bit worried and the nerves were all over the place. ‘The second half was better but still difficult and I’m sure we will be better.’

But the fact that Ancelotti came into this tournament saying his players should give up individual praise for the good of the team perhaps spoke volumes about the flaw at the heart of this Brazilian team.

This is an unbalanced Brazilian team. The forwards are swamped with players and it is clear that there is not a secure enough backbone. They’ve made some fundamental mistakes here, and that might as well happen.

It was possible to point fingers at both the centre-backs and goalkeeper Alisson, who did not do his best for the Morocco goal, but on this evidence, Brazil also lacked collective will. That’s the real concern.

In that frightening first period, when Morocco pinned Ancelotti’s team in their own half, there were disturbing signs that Brazilian players were not tracking runners, not anticipating danger and, frankly, not taking on the tough stuff that all champion teams have to do.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, former West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta was among the worst offenders, lasting just an hour before he was replaced by Manchester United’s Matheus Cunha.

Paqueta is extraordinarily talented, but he is fit for that, and a tournament played in such climatic conditions is not a tournament where a team can carry passengers.

“We must accept the criticism,” Ancelotti said.

‘The starting 11 was well thought out. I will not accept any criticism of individual players who started the match. There is criticism towards the team that did not play well in the first half.’

Carlo Ancelotti’s team had a frightening start to the game and the Brazilian team looked unbalanced.

YOU CAN’T WIN THE WORLD CUP WITHOUT LEGS

The one thing Ancelotti cannot do is inject quality and youth into the center of the pitch. It’s just out of his hands.

Playing the veteran Casemiro in this game always felt like a gamble and it failed. He and midfield partner Bruno were given the right to make a rather embarrassing run through midfield in the first half.

Morocco filled the gaps that could have easily led to three goals in the first 25 minutes. It was no surprise that the former United player was hooked in the first half, but the fact that his replacement was another outstanding player past the prime of his career – 32-year-old former Liverpool general Fabinho – said everything about where this Brazilian team stood ahead of a long tournament in hot and humid conditions.

Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the England duo of Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson playing in this Brazil team; The sudden development is obvious. This is a World Cup that requires stamina and stamina and sometimes stubbornness to get through the games. On this evidence, it doesn’t matter to the five-time champions.

It may take a change of tactics to change things up, but Ancelotti has stuck to 4-2-4 for some time now, even though he admits there are some fundamental flaws thereafter.

‘What we need to do better is clear, we need to be a more balanced team,’ he said.

Playing Casemiro was Ancelotti’s failed gamble and the Italians may need to change their tactics if Brazil are to have any chance of success.

IGOR THIAGO WAS A GREAT CALL

It was hugely impressive to see a Brentford forward feature for Brazil at the World Cup, and the fact that he was behind Igor Thiago’s 22 goals in the Premier League last season says everything about the London club’s incredible recruitment model.

However, Ancelotti’s decision was a really big one on a day when everyone expected him to go with Cunha. It’s hard to say that this was a decision that paid off.

Thiago had a really good chance early on when superb work from Vinicius Junior gave him what appeared to be a direct header. He barely touched the ball.

The 24-year-old made a sharp save from the Morocco goalkeeper with a rising shot early in the second half, but it was an unconvincing display on a day when he failed to keep the ball.

Ancelotti, making only his fifth appearance, will hope for better if the group’s top players pick him out again in the next game against Haiti.

Brentford’s Igor Thiago gets the nod ahead of Matheus Cunha but delivers an unconvincing performance

A DRINK BREAK IS MORE THAN WATER

There has already been criticism of the drinks breaks that will be a feature of this World Cup. Supposedly introduced for the sake of player welfare, these features also allowed host broadcasters to insert two more commercial breaks into every 90 minutes of action.

Moreover, they can be crucial in changing the flow of the game and the play in the first half was definitely in Brazil’s hands. They scored a goal and were smothered when play was stopped.

Morocco scored a great goal in the 21st minute, with great defensive and goalkeeping support, and threatened to score the second goal that could have ended the game.

But a drink and a few words from Ancelotti and his team managed to change the flow of the game slightly and as Brazil calmed down, Vini Jnr scored the goal that saved his team from disaster in the opening game.

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