TA: Brazil need Vinicius Junior to be the answer to all of their prayers

It’s in the way Vinicius Junior moves his ankle. The torque.

“He’s a phenomenon in how he uses it,” Brazil’s assistant coach, Francesco Mauri, observed. “He doesn’t need to wind up the shot a lot in order to generate power. After controlling it, after carrying it, he doesn’t waste time in winding up the shot. He uses his ankle and manages to place it and score. He’s scored so many goals like that.”

At MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Saturday, Brazil needed Vini to step up. The goals Mauri talked about on the Cronache di Spogliatoio podcast were, invariably, for Real Madrid, not for his country. They were inch-perfect curlers, all poise and coordination, culminating in Champions League glory against Liverpool in Paris in 2022 and Borussia Dortmund at Wembley in 2024. When, Brazilians wondered, would they come for the Selecao?

One-nil down and outplayed by Morocco for the first half hour, everyone looked to Vini in hope more than expectation. In 49 games for Brazil, his goal return struck a dissonant chord with the Ballon d’Or campaign that Madrid waged on his behalf only two years ago, when a delegation infamously abandoned the ceremony in Paris upon learning that Manchester City’s midfielder Rodri was to be announced the winner. Nine goals for your country is not the tally of a player who transforms teams and bends tournaments to their will. For context, it was the same as his former Madrid team-mate, Casemiro.

On the eve of Brazil’s World Cup opener against Morocco, a reporter framed a question as follows: “You were once the best in the world…” Could Vini get back to it?

“All I want,” he said, “is to make the most of this opportunity and prove to everyone that we can be champions.” But Brazil looked anything but in New Jersey.

To use Achraf Hakimi’s phrase, Morocco played like “African Brazilians”. Ayyoub Bouaddi slinked through their midfield with all the nonchalance of a cat in a souk. The whole team purred. The dainty Brahim Diaz picked up where he left off at the Africa Cup of Nations. Not with a terrible penalty in the final. But with a series of decisive touches like the through ball for Ismael Saibari’s opening goal.

“I believe we started off on a really bad note,” Vinicius said. “We conceded that first goal. After that it’s really hard to get going. For certain we have got to hold onto the ball and move better. The opponents had a really quick counter attack. There’s not a lot to say now. We have to improve.”

Brazil’s appointment of Carlo Ancelotti was, in part, designed to get the best out of Vinicius. It was under his management in Madrid that the winger suddenly fulfilled his potential.

“Ancelotti always makes me feel confident,” Vinicius said. “Because he allows me the freedom and confidence to do what I’ve done with Madrid while playing for the national team. I’ll have the chance to change the history of our country alongside the other players.”

Alas, it looked like nothing had changed.

Faith in Brazil’s ability to win the World Cup for the first time since 2002 was instantly shaken by Morocco. “You don’t win a World Cup based on your first game,” Ancelotti offered in reassurance.

This is not his first World Cup in the United States. Thirty-two years ago, Ancelotti served as Italy’s assistant manager when they reached the final in Pasadena and lost to Brazil. Beaten in their opener by Ireland in New York, Italy then went a man down against Norway and looked in disarray. One player dragged them to the Rose Bowl; Roberto Baggio.

All these years later, it feels like Ancelotti needs Vinicius to take over this tournament if Brazil are to go far. His team was, in his own estimation, “imbalanced” and lacking in “aggression” in the first half. Only Vinicius gave them a chance. Igor Thiago, the Brentford striker, glanced a header wide. Raphinha’s shots were blocked or straight at the goalkeeper. Vinicius took it upon himself to equalise. He stepped up. Released in behind, he cut inside and there it was; that ankle, the torque, the top corner. The Morocco goalkeeper had Bono no chance.

In the continued absence of his idol Neymar, it falls to him to give life to the idea we all have of Brazil. The aura they used to play with is still lost.

Can he help them find it again? “He did well,” Ancelotti said. “He was very dangerous and I think he has everything in his power to have a great World Cup.”

How Brazil dearly need him to do so if they are to win this competition for a sixth time.