The Brazil World Cup draw against Morocco meant they place third in their group after Scotland beat Haiti in the other Group C fixture.
The game between the Selecao and the Atlas Lions ended in a 1-1 stalemate after Vinicius Junior’s goal cancelled out Ismael Saibari’s opener.
The Selecao are seeking their sixth World Cup title and have not won the tournament in the last 24 years, and the Brazil World Cup draw showed that there was some room for improvement if they are to make it far in the tournament.
Brazil World Cup Draw: The Starting XI Selection
Igor Thiago started the match as the number nine for Brazil and missed a great opportunity to score. Aside from that chance, he was largely anonymous during the game.
Matheus Cunha came onto the pitch with half an hour to go in the game and did more than what Thiago had done during his hour-long appearance.
The Manchester United forward’s presence upfront gave Brazil more mobility and fluidity, with Thiago struggling to get hold of the ball.
Moreover, Fabinho, another Brazilian substitute who replaced Casemiro, did more in the second half as a defensive midfielder than the latter did in the first.
The Al-Ittihad midfielder’s presence allowed Bruno Guimaraes to play with more freedom and join the attack when he was needed.
Raphinha posed another team-selection issue for Brazil, as he looked ill at ease as the right-winger and kept veering towards a central position repeatedly.
Lucas Paqueta, playing as the number 10, dropped deep to accommodate Raphinha, but in the second half, the Flamengo midfielder was withdrawn, and the Barcelona captain moved into the number 10 role with Luiz Henrique coming on to play as the right winger.
Brazil also struggled initially against Morocco’s high-press and high tempo, and it was only after they started playing long passes to Vinicius Junior on the left flank that Morocco’s dominance subsided.
Vinicius Junior also put the Selecao on his back as he scored a brilliant goal to earn a valuable point for his team.
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Brazil World Cup Draw: Is Neymar The Solution Needed For The Selecao
The Brazil World Cup draw against Morocco means that they might need changes in their attacking set-up. If Neymar is not injured, his experience and creativity might come in handy for the Brazilians in the upcoming matches.
It remains to be seen whether Carlo Ancelotti opts to play the 34-year-old in his fourth World Cup. As of now, it is clear that Brazil need a shake-up in their attack in order to be more threatening.
However, the match against Haiti should be less demanding, and Paqueta might get another chance to prove his worth.
Scotland beat Haiti in the other group game, which means that the Tartan Army will be in an advantageous position to qualify from the group.
Brazil will have to win at least one of their remaining two matches to be in a good position and get a favourable opponent in the Round of 32.
Thus, the Brazil World Cup draw against Morocco must have increased Ancelotti’s concerns somewhat, and the veteran Italian head coach will have to make some tough calls ahead of his team’s next match.
The Selecao, however, has enough quality in their squad to be a formidable proposition in the tournament, and it remains to be seen whether the Brazil World Cup draw will allow them to convert their potential into top performances in their upcoming matches.
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