ShareEveryone, including the Moroccan defence, inside MetLife Stadium knew exactly what Vinícius Junior wanted to do as he picked up the ball at the byline and cut inside on to his left foot for a shot. It was the sort of moment that has become the calling card of the Brazilian winger and sure enough the ball flew past Yassine Bounou and into the net.By Graham RuthvenBrazil will hope to see more game-changing moments like this from their most impactful attacker and the player around which Carlo Ancelotti has built his team for the 2026 World Cup. Without Vinícius, Brazil would be a non-factor. With him, though, they could be contenders.Few who watched Brazil’s tournament opener against Morocco will have come away with a heightened opinion of the Seleção’s World Cup chances. Indeed, the five-times winners were underwhelming for the most part. On another day, they would have lost to the 2022 semi-finalists who played with far greater coherence and clarity.In the first half, Brazil couldn’t get a grip of the game in central midfield. The pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães were being overrun by the Moroccan midfield unit of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui and Azzedine Ounahi who were in control on both sides of the ball.Bouaddi in particular was outstanding. The 19-year-old was everything Brazil were missing, giving Morocco a foothold in possession and a barrier in front of the back four. Casemiro, meanwhile, was chasing shadows until he was withdrawn by Ancelotti for the start of the second half.Ancelotti’s changes made a difference and Brazil were less open in the second period of the match. However, this remains a team with serious structural issues and there’s only so much Vinícius can compensate for. The Real Madrid winger needs a platform to push his side towards a sixth World Cup.“We started on a really bad note,” said Ancelotti after the 1-1 draw against Morocco. “For certain, we got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better. Maybe the team was a bit anxious, and the nerves were all over the place. The second half was better, but it was still tough, and I’m sure we’ll get better.”To get better, Ancelotti might have to make more changes. He must find a way to get another body into the centre of the pitch. That could involve adopting a 4-2-3-1 that makes use of Vinicius as an out-and-out left winger rather than a mobile second striker, as was the case in the match against Morocco.Brazil’s starting XI vs. MoroccoMatheus Cunha played the final half-an-hour off the bench and is mobile enough and versatile enough to be the glue in Brazil’s attack. The Manchester United playmaker can operate as a fluid number nine. Alternatively, he could be utilised as a number 10 where he would be able to drop into the middle.With Lucas Paquetá on the right and Raphinha on the left side, Ancelotti emptied out the centre of the pitch. Fitting Raphinha and Vinícius into the same team at this World Cup will be a challenge unless the Barcelona winger is shifted over to the opposite wing. This is another area where Brazil had structural concerns in their opener.One wonders if Ancelotti is already regretting his bold decision to leave João Pedro at home in favour of Neymar. The Chelsea forward would have given Brazil much more cohesion and connective tissue in the final third whereas Neymar is currently sidelined with yet another injury. It’s doubtful he’ll even feature at this World Cup.Even Richarlison might have given Brazil a more effective focal point to play off. Igor Thiago was picked to start against Morocco, but struggled to have much of an influence. Richarlison may have suffered an abysmal season at club level for Tottenham Hotspur, but he has a track record of producing for his national team when it matters.Friday’s match against Haiti could be the perfect opportunity for Brazil to build some momentum. There’s a massive 77 places in the FIFA rankings between the two Group C rivals and so anything less than a comfortable victory would be embarrassing for Ancelotti and his players.And yet the manner of Haiti’s performance against Scotland could be cause for alarm, especially because the CONCACAF side committed themselves so heartily to a quick-transition game that could expose some of the inherent vulnerabilities in the Brazil lineup. The Seleção mustn’t take anything for granted.Nonetheless, if Vinícius can consistently demonstrate the sort of cutting edge that got Brazil out of a hole against Morocco, a positive World Cup experience could still be on the cards. Several big names (Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi etc) are already delivering at this tournament and Vinícius is keeping up with the best of them.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every Brazil game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.Everyone, including the Moroccan defence, inside MetLife Stadium knew exactly what Vinícius Junior wanted to do as he picked up the ball at the byline and cut inside on to his left foot for a shot. It was the sort of moment that has become the calling card of the Brazilian winger and sure enough the ball flew past Yassine Bounou and into the net.By Graham RuthvenBrazil will hope to see more game-changing moments like this from their most impactful attacker and the player around which Carlo Ancelotti has built his team for the 2026 World Cup. Without Vinícius, Brazil would be a non-factor. With him, though, they could be contenders.Few who watched Brazil’s tournament opener against Morocco will have come away with a heightened opinion of the Seleção’s World Cup chances. Indeed, the five-times winners were underwhelming for the most part. On another day, they would have lost to the 2022 semi-finalists who played with far greater coherence and clarity.In the first half, Brazil couldn’t get a grip of the game in central midfield. The pairing of Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães were being overrun by the Moroccan midfield unit of Ayyoub Bouaddi, Neil El Aynaoui and Azzedine Ounahi who were in control on both sides of the ball.Bouaddi in particular was outstanding. The 19-year-old was everything Brazil were missing, giving Morocco a foothold in possession and a barrier in front of the back four. Casemiro, meanwhile, was chasing shadows until he was withdrawn by Ancelotti for the start of the second half.Ancelotti’s changes made a difference and Brazil were less open in the second period of the match. However, this remains a team with serious structural issues and there’s only so much Vinícius can compensate for. The Real Madrid winger needs a platform to push his side towards a sixth World Cup.“We started on a really bad note,” said Ancelotti after the 1-1 draw against Morocco. “For certain, we got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better. Maybe the team was a bit anxious, and the nerves were all over the place. The second half was better, but it was still tough, and I’m sure we’ll get better.”To get better, Ancelotti might have to make more changes. He must find a way to get another body into the centre of the pitch. That could involve adopting a 4-2-3-1 that makes use of Vinicius as an out-and-out left winger rather than a mobile second striker, as was the case in the match against Morocco.Brazil’s starting XI vs. MoroccoMatheus Cunha played the final half-an-hour off the bench and is mobile enough and versatile enough to be the glue in Brazil’s attack. The Manchester United playmaker can operate as a fluid number nine. Alternatively, he could be utilised as a number 10 where he would be able to drop into the middle.With Lucas Paquetá on the right and Raphinha on the left side, Ancelotti emptied out the centre of the pitch. Fitting Raphinha and Vinícius into the same team at this World Cup will be a challenge unless the Barcelona winger is shifted over to the opposite wing. This is another area where Brazil had structural concerns in their opener.One wonders if Ancelotti is already regretting his bold decision to leave João Pedro at home in favour of Neymar. The Chelsea forward would have given Brazil much more cohesion and connective tissue in the final third whereas Neymar is currently sidelined with yet another injury. It’s doubtful he’ll even feature at this World Cup.Even Richarlison might have given Brazil a more effective focal point to play off. Igor Thiago was picked to start against Morocco, but struggled to have much of an influence. Richarlison may have suffered an abysmal season at club level for Tottenham Hotspur, but he has a track record of producing for his national team when it matters.Friday’s match against Haiti could be the perfect opportunity for Brazil to build some momentum. There’s a massive 77 places in the FIFA rankings between the two Group C rivals and so anything less than a comfortable victory would be embarrassing for Ancelotti and his players.And yet the manner of Haiti’s performance against Scotland could be cause for alarm, especially because the CONCACAF side committed themselves so heartily to a quick-transition game that could expose some of the inherent vulnerabilities in the Brazil lineup. The Seleção mustn’t take anything for granted.Nonetheless, if Vinícius can consistently demonstrate the sort of cutting edge that got Brazil out of a hole against Morocco, a positive World Cup experience could still be on the cards. Several big names (Erling Haaland, Kylian Mbappé, Lionel Messi etc) are already delivering at this tournament and Vinícius is keeping up with the best of them.(Images from IMAGO)You can follow every Brazil game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.Add FotMob as a preferred news source on Google by clicking – here.