Vinicius Jr. Saved Brazil From Their Worst World Cup Start In Almost A Century, And Ancelotti Is Already Apologizing.

Alright, 12s, if you caught Brazil's opener against Morocco, you know we've gotta talk. Vinicius Jr. pulled off an absolute masterclass to salvage a 1-1 draw, literally saving them from their first World Cup opening game loss since 1934! But let me tell you, despite Vini's heroics, this team looked *rough*, and it's got folks wondering just how far pure individual brilliance can carry a squad.

Vini Jr. Does It All, Still Not Enough

Seriously, the dude is a magician. Brazil was down 1-0, looking completely lost against Morocco, when Vinicius Jr. decided he'd had enough. He got the ball on the left side of the box from Bruno Guimaraes' pass, cut back inside on to his right foot, and absolutely ROCKETED a shot into the roof of the net. It was pure, unadulterated quality, the kind of goal fitting for the World Cup. He said it himself before the game, "I am not here to be the best player of the tournament, I am here to help Brazil get back to the top." And he did, preventing a total nightmare start. South American football expert Tim Vickery said, "Ideally you want the team to make the stars, here you have a case of the star saving the team." That's telling, isn't it?

The Team Looked "Ragged" and Exposed

Look, let's be real. Former England captain Alan Shearer called Brazil's performance "ragged" for a reason. For long stretches, Morocco looked like the better team, dominating the midfield. Casemiro, at 34, was toiling in that New Jersey heat and got pulled at half-time. Defender Roger Ibanez didn't come back out either in the second half! Former Uruguay and Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet was "surprised how bad technically they were today." He said they were missing "simple passes that you would expect the Brazilian players to do well." Carlo Ancelotti, in his very first World Cup game as a head coach at the age of 67, had to apologize afterward, saying, "I am sorry we didn't play as well as we hoped." Yikes. This squad's overloaded with wingers but is seriously short in the middle, and it showed.

What's Next for Brazil?

Now, before we hit the panic button too hard, remember what Tim Vickery also said: this expanded World Cup is a marathon, not a sprint. Argentina lost their opener in Qatar four years ago and still won it all. Brazil's still expected to make the knockout stage, no doubt. Vickery noted, "This is precisely why Brazil are so dangerous. How many teams can play that badly and still be in the game? It's the individuality." They've got Haiti up next on June 19 in Philadelphia, then Scotland in Miami on June 24. They need to figure out that midfield fast. Vinicius Jr. is clearly ready to carry the load, but if Brazil wants to hoist that trophy, the rest of the squad, and Coach Ancelotti, gotta step up big time. Let's see if they can finally play like the five-time champions we know they can be.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.