Brazil secured their first victory of the World Cup against Haiti but were dealt a potentially significant injury blow as Raphinha was forced off the pitch. The Selecao cruised to a 3-0 win in the early hours of Saturday morning, with Manchester United forward Matheus Cunha scoring a first-half brace after being deployed as the central striker. Vinicius Jr added his second goal of the tournament just before the break, calmly slotting past the Haiti goalkeeper to give his side complete control.
The only downside to an otherwise flawless evening for Carlo Ancelotti's team was seeing Raphinha limp off before halftime. The Barcelona winger had started brightly in Philadelphia and had an early goal ruled out for offside. However, concern arose when he pulled up with what appeared to be a hamstring problem in his right leg. Brazil's medical staff attended to him before he left the pitch, visibly frustrated.
Raphinha has been plagued by hamstring injuries this season, missing a total of 105 days for Barcelona last term. Vinicius Jr fears the issue may be similar to those that have recently troubled him, telling media after the game: 'It's a shame Rapha got injured. I think it was the same injury as last time. We're very sad about that. I hope it's nothing serious and that he can continue with us.'
Should Raphinha's injury be severe enough to end his World Cup participation, Brazil will be unable to call up a replacement, as the deadline passed before their first game last week. 'He's a little down, we hope it's nothing serious because he's a very important player, and we count on him a lot,' added teammate Paqueta.
Brazil released an official statement after the game saying 'the player has begun treatment and will be re-evaluated.' They face Scotland in their final group match on Wednesday. With Raphinha likely a major doubt for that game, Ancelotti hopes to finally have Neymar available. The Brazil legend has not yet featured due to a calf injury, training separately from his teammates and remaining at the national team's training base in New Jersey while the squad traveled to Philadelphia for the Haiti match.
'Neymar will train individually tomorrow (Saturday) and then, on Monday, he will be with the team and will be ready for the game against Scotland,' Ancelotti said.
