Kolkata: Between hope and despair, missed passes and messy moves that produced nothing, Brazil fans had a moment of redemption on Sunday morning — a spectacular solo effort by Vinicius Junior that helped the five-time champions salvage a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener.
The Selecaos failed to make a winning start to their campaign against Morocco. Fans across Kolkata, though, stayed awake through the night to catch the action that started at 3.30 am. The result and Brazil's display left much to be desired, but fans are hoping for a quick turnaround.
Fan Reactions from Brazil Para
Kolkata's Brazil para — Fakir Chakrabarty Lane in Girish Park, where the Uttar Kolkata Dishari Club has decked up a lane in yellow and green — saw more than a hundred fans cheer for the Brazilian team. They were left heartbroken as Morocco scored first.
"It was disappointing, yes, but Brazil missed Neymar. This was the first match and the team probably needs time to settle down. Vini Junior's goal was spectacular. They will definitely win the next match," said Joydeep Pal, a local.
Kajal Saha, an employee of a US firm, cheered every Selecao move. "Overall, it was not a great match. Apart from Vini Junior, the others seemed to be lacking in co-ordination and the team looked out of rhythm. We are also missing a striker in the absence of Neymar. Once he is fit to play and the co-ordination improves, Brazil should play better," said Saha.
Soumen Bora, a member of Dishari Club, rued the missed chance in the 77th minute. "Vini and Raphinha combined to produce a magic move. Raphinha's shot was saved by the keeper. It could easily have been a great goal. We need Neymar to turn things around," said Bora.
Match Highlights
Morocco's aggressive start paid off. Brahim Diaz capitalised on a loose ball in midfield and threaded a perfect pass through Brazil's central defence. Ismael Saibari lobbed an advancing Alisson Becker to make it 1-0. Brazil struck back. Vini Junior exchanged passes with Bruno Guimaraes, cut inside from the left wing, and curled a spectacular strike to level the score. In stoppage time, Morocco nearly snatched a sensational late winner, but Brazil's backline managed to hold firm.
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