Brazil cruise past Panama as Neymar gets a huge reception at the Maracana
Brazil did the job on Sunday night at the Maracana. Against Panama, Carlo Ancelotti’s Selecao cruised to a 6-2 win in this warm-up match before heading to the United States on Monday. It was also a night shaped by Neymar’s presence in the stands, with the forward out since May 17 after suffering a calf injury in Santos’ match against Coritiba. Sneakers on, cap turned backwards, the No 10 cranked up the mood every time he appeared on the stadium’s giant screens. The 72,000 fans inside the ground knew exactly what they were seeing and gave him repeated ovations.
On the pitch, Vinicius Jr struck first in the second minute with a superb finish. The Real Madrid forward then teed up his captain Casemiro with a header in the 39th minute. Between those two goals, former Marseille man Amir Murillo had levelled from a free kick that was deflected in off Cunha for an own goal (1-1, 14th). Strangely enough, Brazil looked least convincing with their strongest line-up on the field. The attacking quartet of Luiz Henrique, Raphinha, Vinicius and Matheus Cunha only sparkled in flashes.
In nine caps under Carlo Ancelotti, Vinicius already has three goals and three assists, a far better return than he managed under Tite in 20 matches or Dorival in 13. It is a figure that underlines the trust building between the Italian coach and the Madrid winger.
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Brazil’s young guns stepped up in the second half
At the break, Ancelotti ripped things up, with only Leo Pereira staying on. The youngsters took over and responded with real energy. Rayan clipped in a fine left-footed lob (3-1, 53rd), while Endrick was busy enough despite his chronic lack of sharpness in front of goal. Paqueta (60th), Igor Thiago from the penalty spot (63rd) and Danilo (81st) completed the scoring and gave the manager plenty to think about before naming his final squad.
“They showed quality and proved they can compete with the starters,” Ancelotti admitted after the game. The Italian coach left in good spirits, carried along by a roaring Maracana. “It was a wonderful night, and it gave us a huge confidence boost,” he added before boarding the plane for the United States.
Brazil get one last chance to test themselves on June 6 in Cleveland against Egypt before kicking off their World Cup campaign against Morocco on June 13 in New Jersey. Neymar, for his part, is still racing the clock to be fit. The medical all-clear has not come yet, but on Sunday night at the Maracana he at least proved he can still set a stadium alight without even kicking a ball.
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