Vinícius Júnior: 'The field doesn't help much, but we have to adapt'

With the World Cup's group stage fully underway, Group C action opened in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with an intense 1-1 draw between two continental heavyweights in Brazil and Morocco.

Brazil began the match sluggish, paving the way for Morocco to take the lead through Ismael Saibari's audacious chip over Alisson Becker on 21 minutes. Yet, soon after, the Seleção kicked into gear, with Real Madrid superstar Vinícius Júnior answering barely 10 minutes later with a impeccable strike of his own.

Once the second half arrived, the momentum swung firmly in Brazil's direction, attempting three times more shots than the Atlas Lions, but the 2025 AFCON finalists held firm for a memorable draw in the Meadowlands.

Brazil looks mortal against Morocco, settles for 1-1 draw

The first World Cup match of 2026 in East Rutherford, New Jersey, saw Morocco get off to a flying start, but a moment of brilliance from Vinícius Júnior and some necessary adjustments by Carlo Ancelotti helped Brazil rescue a point.

New York Soccer JournalMichael Battista

After the match, Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti faced questions regarding his player selections and substitution strategy, with an emphasis on the decision to start Brentford FC striker Igor Thiago over the likes of Manchester United's Matheus Cunha and Endrick of Olympique Lyonnais up front. The Brentford talisman managed just one shot on Morocco's goal, one of his two touches inside the Moroccan penalty area all match.

Thiago, who finished second in the Premier League Golden Boot race with 22 goals, was also selected over a more experienced forward in Chelsea's João Pedro, who's represented Brazil since 2023. Instead, Ancelotti opted for the "more in-form" Thiago, and gave the 24-year-old the start for his World Cup debut, and he did not live up to expectations.

When asked about Endrick's failure to appear off the bench with the match still tied, Ancelotti simply replied, "I am not gonna comment on individual players. I am here to talk about the team." Even before his presser, Ancelotti graced viewers watching at home with an all-timer when asked for his initial thoughts on the match. He replied, "We must improve. Can I give a specific point that needs improvement? No."

The former Real Madrid and Everton manager did expand, somewhat, on his thoughts when behind a microphone a few minutes later, saying "There were a few issues: The team was unbalanced, we lost several balls, and we have to do better in that regard. We improved in the second half, but we cannot lose heart...This is the first match of the World ⁠Cup and ​we can't judge ourselves as if the team should be perfect from the outset."

In his own post-match comments to the press, Vinícius Jr, named the Coca-Cola Player of the Match for his stunning strike after 32 minutes, criticized the state of the pitch inside New York/New Jersey Stadium.

"Because the grass dries up very quickly and the game gets stuck. We can't keep pace. That's difficult because we want to play, we want to ball from one side to the other. And that gets in the way of our game, but we'll have to adapt, because I believe that's the whole competition, where everyone will have the same field to play, so we'll improve and evolve and we'll get great victories."

The MetLi...rather NY/NJ pitch is usually comprised of artificial turf. Used during the NFL season, the turf has seen no shortage of criticism in recent years, with severe injuries continuing to pile up. To comply with FIFA regulations, a temporary pitch made from Bermuda grass was brought in specifically for the tournament; a real spit in the face to the NFLPA, but that's a topic for another time.

Beyond the pitch, the Real Madrid superstar commented on the Seleção's performance as a whole, saying, "We scored the goal, then controlled the game more. [...] Morocco was an opponent that we had to adapt to very well in the match. And in the end that's where the opponents will be difficult."

On the Moroccan side, midfield starlet Ayoub Bouaddi announced himself to the world with a dominant performance at the center of the pitch for the Atlas Lions. The 18-year-old Lille academy graduate didn't put a foot wrong on the day, making four tackles, six recoveries and winning nine duels on the ground. The teenager wreaked havoc on Brazil's forwards while dictating the flow of Morocco's game with poise akin to a 30-year-old veteran, not someone unable to legally drink in the United States.

Following his performance, Bouaddi responded when asked about how Morocco moves forward from this strong performance saying, "We would have liked to win, but it still remains a good first match anyway. Now, we know what we have left to do for the rest."

Confident and rightfully so, as the Atlas Lions will be looking to build off their run to the semifinals of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, where they became the first African nation to advance that far.

Brazil will look to bounce back against CONCACAF minnows Haiti next Friday, June 19, in Philadelphia, while Morocco heads up to Boston for a date with current group leaders Scotland, also on Friday, June 19.