Cunha scores twice as Brazil rout Haiti, but Raphinha injury clouds striker solution

Matheus Cunha delivered a convincing audition as Brazil’s centre-forward, scoring twice in a 3-0 victory over Haiti in Philadelphia, but a first-half injury to Raphinha has immediately complicated Carlo Ancelotti’s plans for the Selecao’s striker role.

Cunha, primarily used as a winger by Manchester United at club level, was handed the number nine responsibility after being left on the bench for Brazil’s opening draw with Morocco. He repaid Ancelotti’s faith with two well-taken goals — the first a clever, deep-lying run that ended with him bundling the ball in with the help of a deflection off Haiti defender Hannes Delcroix, the second a sharp run in behind the defence finished with a composed strike that effectively ended the contest.

Vinicius Jr added a third late in the half, latching onto Lucas Paqueta’s through ball to slide in a neat finish and complete a comfortable afternoon for the five-time world champions.

For Cunha, the brace represented only his second and third international goals despite having been deployed as a striker on previous occasions for Brazil. His movement created space for both Raphinha and Vinicius Jr in the early stages, offering a glimpse of what a settled Cunha-led attack might look like. Yet the opposition — one of the lowest-ranked sides in the competition — offered limited evidence of how he would cope against a more organised defence.

The more pressing concern to emerge from the game was Raphinha’s fitness. The Barcelona winger was forced off before half-time with what Ancelotti described as tightness in his hamstring. Should the injury prove serious, Cunha may be required to shift back to the wing to cover, cutting short his experiment as a central striker just as it was gaining momentum.

Ancelotti was characteristically guarded in his post-match press conference, declining to declare that Brazil had resolved their long-standing striker problem. The questions around whether Cunha can consistently perform as a true number nine against top-level opposition remain unanswered, with tougher tests ahead — including their final group game against Scotland and a potential last-32 tie against Japan.