Friday (19) of the World Cup will feature Brazil as the highlight, in a crucial match for their first victory in the championship. Carlo Ancelotti’s team will face Haiti, at 9:30 pm (Brasília time), in Philadelphia. The round will also feature three other clashes, involving teams such as Morocco, the United States, Türkiye and Paraguay.
See the schedule and broadcast channels for this Friday’s clashes
- At 4pm: United States faces Australia, broadcast on Cazé TV.
- At 7pm: Scotland duels with Morocco, shown on Cazé TV.
- At 9:30 pm: Brazil faces Haiti, with wide coverage on TV Globo, sportv, Globoplay, ge.globo, SBT, NSports and Cazé TV.
- At 00:00 (in the early hours of Saturday): Türkiye plays against Paraguay, available on TV Globo, sportv, Globoplay, ge.globo and Cazé TV.
Challenges and expectations for Brazil on the pitch
After a 1-1 draw against Morocco in the opening match, the Brazilian team returns for its second challenge at the World Cup, seeking its first victory. The Seleção, favorite in the clash, faces Haiti, which is coming off a 1-0 defeat to Scotland in the opening round. Despite the favoritism, the team knows that the World Cup has shown unpredictable results and the pressure to perform well in the second game is great, historically crucial for qualifying for the knockout stage. Without the presence of Neymar, who did not travel to Philadelphia, coach Carlo Ancelotti could make changes to Brazil’s starting lineup.
The criticism received after the debut motivated Carlo Ancelotti to try different formations during the week’s training. Players like Matheus Cunha, Luiz Henrique and Danilo were tested by the coach and could be selected in the starting 11. A positive result in this match is essential, as it could significantly bring Brazil closer to a place in the round of 16.
Haiti, although defeated, demonstrated a competitive performance against Scotland, indicating that they can create obstacles for the Brazilian team. The Caribbean team stands out for its midfield duo of Jean-Ricner Bellegarde and Danley Jean Jacques, as well as the dangerous attackers Frantzdy Pierrot and Wilson Isidor, considered its main offensive forces.
Brazilian attention on the other group clashes
In the other game in Group C, Scotland and Morocco will face off at Gillette Stadium, in Boston, in a clash of great importance for Brazil. Scotland leads the group with three points, gained after beating Haiti. Morocco occupies a higher position than the Brazilian team in the table, driven by the fair play criterion, after the initial draw between the two teams.
Among Scotland’s prominent names, John McGinn, responsible for the decisive goal in the opening round, gains relevance, accompanied by Scott McTominay and Che Adams. On the Moroccan side, the team is betting on maintaining its main formation, with Achraf Hakimi in charge and the promising Ayyoub Bouaddi, who stood out on his debut. The Africans are aiming to replicate the success of their surprise 2022 campaign.
United States enters the field as one of the hosts
After the performances of Canada and Mexico on Thursday, the United States ends the host nations’ participation in the second round. The North American team will face Australia, in Seattle, in Group D. This duel brings together two teams that achieved victories in their first games and has the potential to guarantee an early place in the round of 16 for the winner.
Christian Pulisic, one of the big names in the 4-1 rout of Paraguay, could be missing for the game due to an injury. If he is prevented from playing, Giovanni Reyna, who scored one of the goals in the opening of the tournament, appears as the likely replacement. The rest of the squad is expected to remain unchanged, with players such as Folarin Balogun and Weston McKennie.
In turn, the Australian team, which achieved a surprising 2-0 victory over Turkey, seeks to continue its good performance and raise hopes of an unprecedented qualification for the knockout phase. Nestory Irankunda and Connor Metcalfe, responsible for the winning goals, continue to be pillars of the team, alongside goalkeeper Patrick Beach, who stood out as one of the best in the opening round.
Final confrontation of the round defines the situation in group D
The day will end with a clash between Türkiye and Paraguay, who will meet in Santa Clara, California. Both teams suffered defeats in their debuts, presenting performances below expectations, and are now in the last places of Group D. The result of the match between the United States and Australia could directly impact this game, making the losing team run the risk of an early elimination from the World Cup.