MIAMI GARDENS — This was a midweek night at Hard Rock Stadium for making memories and refreshing memories.
Remember Brazil? The Samba Kings? Somehow, the Brazilians slipped into this World Cup as far off the radar as a five-time champion can, in that next echelon of contenders behind Spain, France and defending champion Argentina.
Then came a visit to Hard Rock Stadium when Brazil didn’t need any favors from Scotland but got them anyway en route to a 3-0 victory that won Group C.
With that, the plot to this World Cup thickened as much as the June air.
Buy World Cup tickets on StubHub
How far can this team go? Before you answer, remember this country last won a World Cup 24 years ago, a drought nearly identical to the Miami Dolphins’ last playoff win, only much closer to a national tragedy.
“It was a motivation,” said Brazil’s 67-year-old coach, Carlo Ancelotti, adding this skid is like “an illusion” to his team.
Are the winds changing? Judging by the tone of the questions by the South American media to Ancelotti, yes. One reporter asked a long-winded question with such passion, he received verbal first aid from the coach.
“Take it easy,” Ancelotti said. “Just take it very, very easy.”
Truth is, there was plenty to excite on this night, starting with Vinicius Junior, who scored his third and fourth goals for the tournament and looks very much like a guy who’s just getting started. It would be stupid for any team not to pay extra attention on Vini. It also would be stupid to do so, such is his surrounding talent.
With midfielders Bruno Guimaraes and Lucas Paqueta providing this kind of service, Brazil’s forwards are never going to go hungry. At times when Brazil came up short in the World Cup, it was because of its defense. But with Gabriel patrolling the middle and Alisson in goal, Brazil rolls into the knockout stages on the heels of two clean sheets.
“We feel very, very good about this squad,” Ancelotti said.
Apologies, Carlo, but we weren’t quite done.
Some of the loudest cheers of the night in the packed house came in the 76th minute when Neymar entered in a Brazil jersey for the first time in nearly three years. Neymar is 34, coming off another injury, but Brazil’s romance with him runs deep. And why not? He’s playing for Brazilian club Santos (Pelé’s old team), wears Brazil’s No. 10 jersey (Pelé’s legendary number) and has scored in Pelé-esque fashion for the national team (79 goals, two more than Pelé). It says something that Ancelotti was hit with more questions about Neymar than any other player after the match.
“I think he deserved the opportunity to play, which is why I gave him the opportunity,” Ancelotti said. “He’s been preparing very well. He’s very serious about that because of his quality. I think he could help the team.”
Ancelotti thought Rayan could help, too, which is why he called his number to replace Raphinha, whose hamstring injury is the one dark cloud. All Rayan did was put heat on Scotland defender Scott McKenna, also newly inserted into the starting lineup. When Rayan blocked a last-ditch attempt by McKenna to get rid of the ball, it ended up in the hands of Vini, who eluded goalkeeper Angus Gunn and passed it into an empty net. It was only the seventh minute, but Brazil was well on its way.
And did we mention Rayan is only 19?
“Having young players is bringing fresh air into the team,” Ancelotti said. “They have vitality.”
Fifteen minutes later, a similar strike by Vini was wiped out upon review when Vini was judged to have fouled, but in this stubborn mood, he wasn’t giving up. In first-half stoppage time Guimaraes sent a cross that eluded Gunn’s outstretched fingertips. Vini hoped that would be the case, because he had slipped behind him. A simple nod of the head sent the ball floating into the net. Vini celebrated by pointing to his temple, letting everyone know he’d outsmarted ‘em all.
And when Matheus Cunha side-footed a goal in the 63rd minute for his third of the tournament, all Scotland could do was hope its third-place stats will stack up among the top eight via tiebreakers, which would earn its first berth out of the group stage.
How far Brazil goes is an entirely different subject.
“They’re going to be very competitive in the competition,” Scotland coach Steve Clarke said. “I would expect them to go deep, whether that’s the semifinal or final.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Brazil sends World Cup warning with shutout of Scotland | Habib
Reporting by Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Hal Habib, Palm Beach Post | USA TODAY Network
