Brazil needed someone to step up and not just play the position but own it. Matheus Cunha did that against Haiti on Thursday, scoring twice before halftime and giving Carlo Ancelotti the kind of center-forward performance his squad has been searching for.
The 5-0 win itself isn’t the story. Haiti isn’t a World Cup heavyweight and nobody is pretending otherwise. But context matters here. We already watched Spain slog through a 0-0 draw with Cape Verde. DR Congo held Portugal. Nothing at this tournament is automatic, especially for a Brazil team that looked disjointed and vulnerable in their opener against Morocco.
Cunha started that first match on the bench. Brentford’s Igor Thiago got the nod up front and basically disappeared for 70 minutes. Ancelotti made the switch against Haiti and the difference was immediate. Not just the goals but the way Cunha played. He drifted wide when he needed to, came deep to link play, then burst through the middle on his second goal and smashed it left-footed into the roof of the net. That’s not a poacher’s goal. That’s a complete forward’s goal.
Brazil’s Striker Problem Was Older Than You Think
People talk about Brazil’s No. 9 curse like it started after Ronaldo. It’s been longer than that. For most of the 21st century they’ve cycled through guys who were either too stiff, too limited or just not the right fit. Thiago is Premier League proven but he falls into that same category as Fred and Pedro — useful players who don’t quite feel like they belong in yellow.
Cunha is different. He’s not Ronaldo or Adriano or Romario. But he’s cut from that cloth — tricky, quick, technically sharp and aggressive in front of goal. His first strike against Haiti was a poacher’s finish. His second was pure confidence, taking on a defender and burying it with his weak foot. That’s the kind of stuff that makes Ancelotti’s decision easy going forward.
The fact that Ancelotti pulled him at halftime with Brazil already up 3-0 says a lot. He’s saving him for bigger games. Endrick came off the bench instead of Thiago and had a goal ruled out for offside. That tells you where the pecking order is right now.
Scotland is next and they’re not going to roll over. But Brazil finally looks like they have a focal point who can actually hold the line and create something out of nothing. Bigger tests are coming. For the first time in a while, it feels like Brazil’s No. 9 can handle them.
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