Dance, Vini! After leaving Croatians on the ground, Vinicius Jr. provides a great assist for Danilo to open the scoring for Brazil

The Brazilian team ended the first 45 minutes of the friendly against Croácia with an advantage, winning 1-0 at Camping World Stadium, at Orlando. The goal from the team led by Carlo Ancelotti came in the final moments of the period, crowning a performance marked by control of ball possession and deep plays on the sides of the field. The confrontation continues into the second half with Brasil dictating the pace of the match to the applause of the fans present at Estados Unidos.

The duel began with Brasil holding the initiative and looking for spaces in the closed Croatian defense, which was betting on quick exits with Luka Modric and Ivan Perisic. The Brazilian fans, in large numbers in the stands, pushed the team from the opening minutes, creating a favorable atmosphere for the pressure exerted by the attack formed by Vini Jr, Matheus Cunha and João Pedro, which moved intensely to break the European blockade.

• Brazil maintained possession of the ball in the offensive field for most of the initial stage.
• The Croatian defense had difficulty containing Vini Jr’s attacks from the left wing.
• Goalkeeper Bento was required to take specific shots, demonstrating extreme security.
• Yellow cards were given to contain the intensity of fouls in midfield.

Brazilian dominance and Danilo brilliance in the offensive sector

The Brazilian goal came in the 46th minute, after a quick transition that started in the defensive field. Matheus Cunha found a precise pass for Vini Jr, who used his speed to overcome three markers before serving Danilo. The full-back, appearing as a surprise element in the area, finished with precision to fill the goalkeeper’s net Livakovic, guaranteeing the Brazilian celebration before heading to the changing rooms.

Before the solitary goal, Brasil had already wasted clear opportunities with João Pedro and Matheus Cunha himself, who stopped in important saves from the opposing archer. The team maintained an aggressive stance, recovering balls in the intermediate sector and preventing Croácia from creating dangerous plays in the Brazilian area, maintaining a high level of concentration until the referee’s whistle for the technical break.

Croatia faces danger from set pieces with Luka Modric

Despite Brazil’s superiority, the Croácia team was scared at set pieces, taking advantage of the technical quality of its main articulator. Aos 45 minutes, Modric took a side free kick perfectly to the head of Vuskovic, requiring a spectacular save from Bento, who sent it over the crossbar to prevent the Croatians from immediately equalizing in the final stretch of the first half.

🌐🇧🇷 How beautiful is VINICIUS JUNIOR’s footwork, by DANILO…

But LIVAKOVIC avoids the sale of Brasil on Croacia 👀pic.twitter.com/Dt5ECFWfSx

— Ligas Top of Fútbol (@LigasTopFutbol)April 1, 2026

The game presented moments of physical tension, resulting in warnings for Casemiro, for the Brazilian side, and Caleta-Car and Perisic, for the European team. The Croatian strategy of defensive compactness worked in part of the duel, but the mobility of the Brazilian attackers forced positioning errors that culminated in the score in favor of Brasil when the teams headed for the regular break.

Consistent performance of Vini Jr and Matheus Cunha in creation

The partnership between Vini Jr and Matheus Cunha was the main creative engine of the Brazilian team in the first 45 minutes of the match. Vini Jr constantly exploited the individual confrontation against Stanisic, while Cunha retreated to look for the game and distribute deep passes, as in the move that led to Danilo’s goal in the small area.

1. Vini Jr made four complete dribbles on the left wing against the triple marking.
2. Matheus Cunha finished twice with danger from medium distance in the Croatian goal.
3. The movement of João Pedro opened important spaces in the defense of Sutalo and Caleta-Car.
4. The Brazilian midfield managed to neutralize Petar Sucic’s ball output efficiently.

Timeline of the main plays of the first half

• 19 min: Danilo makes a beautiful individual play in the middle, shoots firmly and Livakovic makes a safe save in the center of the goal.
• 21 min: Perisic receives a yellow card after a harsh tackle on Luiz Henrique at the entrance to the area.
• 35 min: João Pedro receives a low pass from Matheus Cunha and finishes for a difficult save by the Croatian goalkeeper in the corner.
• 41 min: Matheus Cunha takes a risk from the edge of the area after a pass from Vini Jr and forces Livakovic to throw a corner.
• 45 min: Bento saves Brasil after a firm header from Vuskovic following a dangerous free kick from Luka Modric.
• 46 min: Gol from Brasil! Danilo scores after an individual play by Vini Jr, which served the full-back in the small area.

Minute by minute of Mix Vale in the international friendly

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The match in Orlando continues into the second half with Brasil maintaining the minimum advantage and the expectation of tactical changes on the part of Carlo Ancelotti and Zlatko Dalic. The technical balance between the teams promises an intense final stage, with Croácia needing to expose itself more to seek the result, while the Brasil You will have spaces to counterattack and extend the score.