Vinícius Júnior scored an equalizing goal in the 32nd minute, giving five-time champions Brazil a 1-1 draw against Morocco on Saturday in a pulsating, high-profile group match at the World Cup.
A semifinalist four years ago, Morocco dominated early, and Ismael Saibari put the African champions ahead in the 21st minute.
Brazil evened the score 11 minutes later. Vinícius exchanged passes with Bruno Guimarães on the left flank, took touches to make space and rifled a right-footed shot past the outstretched arm of Yassine Bounou for his 10th international goal.
“We started on a really bad note,” Vinícius, who scored his second-career World Cup goal, said through a translator. “For certain, we got to hold on to the ball. We have to move better.”
Brazil, seeking their first World Cup title since 2002, entered the tournament with high expectations, and the yellow-clad Seleção fans, who dominated the crowd of 80,663 at MetLife Stadium, became a bit subdued before Vinícius evened the score with his spectacular angled effort.
No. 6 Brazil and seventh-ranked Morocco are the only top-10 teams to meet in the first round of the expanded 48-nation World Cup tournament.
Despite shaky moments, Brazil extended their unbeaten streak in World Cup openers to 21, including 17 wins, since a 1934 loss to Spain. Morocco, meanwhile, remain winless in their seven opening games at the World Cup.
“Difficult match, very hard-fought game, difficult,” Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti told CazéTV. “In the first half, we didn’t do well, but in the second, we improved. We have to improve.”
Brazil play Haiti on Friday in Philadelphia, then close Group C against Scotland in Miami Gardens, Florida. Morocco face Scotland in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Friday, then meet Haiti in Atlanta.
Brazil star Neymar, recovering from a torn right calf, didn’t dress for the game.
Ancelotti, the Italian who became Brazil’s first foreign World Cup coach, wore a three-piece suit with a necktie on a sunny afternoon with an 88 degree Fahrenheit (31-degree Celsius) temperature for the 6 p.m. start.
Morocco went ahead after Lucas Paquetá lost control of a short pass from Roger Ibañez and knocked it off Bilal El Khannouss. It bounced to Noussair Mazraoui, who sent the ball to Brahim Díaz in the center circle.
His through pass split Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos, and Saibari ran onto the ball at the top of the arc. Alisson Becker was slow to come off his line, and Saibari chipped the ball over the Brazil goalkeeper for his 10th international goal.
Morocco nearly went back ahead in the ninth of 10 minutes of stoppage time. Alisson spilled Neil El Aynaoui’s long-range shot, which was headed wide, then while on the grass, he leaned back toward the goal and used his right hand to block Ayoube Amaimouni’s follow-up effort.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
