EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey — A World Cup clash between two heavyweights ended in a 1-1 stalemate Saturday, as Morocco proved they could more than hold their own against Brazil in front of a packed house at the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
Morocco midfielder Ismael Saibari put his team ahead with a well-deserved first-half goal, but Vinicius Jr. answered with a spectacular equalizer to keep Brazil from falling behind in their Group C opener. The draw leaves the group standings evenly matched heading into the later Saturday contest between Haiti and Scotland.
For Morocco, who reached the semi-finals at the 2022 World Cup, the showing reinforced the belief that they belong among the sport’s elite nations. Brazil, meanwhile, left the field with plenty of concerns after a disjointed performance that saw Morocco repeatedly exploit gaps in their defense.
Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti was candid about his team’s shortcomings in the opening half. “I don’t think we started the match well, the team was a bit nervous, we lost possession too often and lost too many challenges. The first half wasn’t good,” he said, while acknowledging improvement after halftime. “It improved in the second half; it’s a tough match because Morocco are a good side. I think there was a bit of nervousness. In the first half they were breaking out of our press and making dangerous counter-attacks.”
Morocco coach Mohamed Ouahbi made clear his ambitions extend beyond what his team achieved three years ago. “If you’re asking me if I want to have the same trajectory as in 2022, no, I want to go beyond the semi-finals this time,” he said. “This was one point but we hoped to have more. One point is good enough and we will improve.”
Morocco controlled much of the early action, moving the ball patiently along the wings and creating danger through Achraf Hakimi and Bilal El Khannouss. Teenager Ayyoub Bouaddi drew attention by carving through Brazil’s midfield with ease, as the five-time world champions struggled to contain Morocco’s pace and organization.
Brazil’s first real opportunity came in the 14th minute, but Igor Thiago squandered it with a poorly directed header. Seven minutes later, Morocco capitalized on a Brazil mistake. Lucas Paqueta lost the ball in midfield, and Brahim Diaz quickly fed Saibari behind a flat-footed Brazilian backline. Goalkeeper Alisson made matters worse by rushing off his line at the wrong moment, and Saibari coolly chipped the ball over him to put Morocco in front.
Brazil pulled level in the 32nd minute thanks to a moment of individual brilliance. Vinicius Jr. received a pass from Bruno Guimaraes on the left side of the penalty area, shifted onto his right foot, and drilled an unstoppable shot into the far top corner of the net. Brazil nearly grabbed the lead just before halftime, but Morocco keeper Yassine Bounou made a sharp save to deny Paqueta’s acrobatic scissor kick.
Brazil made changes at halftime, bringing on Fabinho and Danilo to replace Casemiro and Roger Ibanez — both of whom had difficult first halves. The substitutions helped Brazil assert more control after the break, though clear scoring opportunities remained hard to come by until the 78th minute, when Raphinha got on the end of a Vinicius cross.
The match grew cautious in the closing stages as both teams avoided unnecessary risks. Substitute Matheus Cunha gave Brazil a late jolt of energy and came close to a winner, but the Brazilians never quite rediscovered their trademark flair.
Both nations will still feel confident about their chances of topping the group and earning a more favorable path through the knockout rounds.
