At the Mane Garrincha stadium in Brasília, Brazil delivered a 4-0 rout of Peru that was more than just a victory it was a bold declaration. With this win, the Seleção not only registered back-to-back triumphs in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers but also gained much-needed momentum after some uneven performances earlier in the campaign.
Though
Brazil remains in fourth place with 16 points—level with Uruguay and trailing
Argentina by six - this victory radiated promise. For a team seeking to restore
its former glory, the emphatic display against Peru seemed like a step in the
right direction, a night where ambition met execution. Meanwhile, Peru’s
struggles deepen, their six points leaving them second to last, perilously
close to elimination from the qualifying race.
A
Cautious Beginning
The first
half was a slow dance between two sides still figuring out their rhythm. Brazil
controlled possession and crafted a handful of opportunities, but the spark was
missing. Peru, hesitant yet organized, tried to keep their defence intact. The
closest they came to disrupting the script was when Edison Flores found the net
in the 11th minute, only for his effort to be rightfully ruled offside. It was
a rare warning shot from the visitors, who otherwise posed no real threat—zero
shots on target in the first half told their story.
Brazil,
despite moments of lethargy, grew into the game. Raphinha rattled the crossbar
in the 23rd minute, a precursor to what was to come. The breakthrough arrived
in the 37th minute, courtesy of a penalty awarded after a handball by Carlos
Zambrano. Raphinha stepped up with ice-cold composure to convert the spot-kick,
and the floodgates began to creak open.
Brazil
Finds Its Groove
The second
half was an entirely different affair. With the early jitters gone, Brazil
rediscovered its swagger, turning the game into a one-sided spectacle. Speed
and precision emerged on the wings, and their intent became clearer with every
passing minute. Just eight minutes after the restart, Raphinha doubled his
tally with another penalty, cementing his influence on the match.
Now, the
Brazilian engine was purring. The match’s highlight came in the 70th minute
when Andreas Pereira volleyed in a stunning strike, a goal that felt like
poetry in motion—a perfect synthesis of control and flair. And before Peru
could recover, Luiz Henrique struck again in the 73rd minute, delivering the
final blow and sealing the 4-0 victory.
A Timely
Reminder
Brazil’s
dominance in the second half was as much a mental shift as it was tactical.
They attempted 13 shots in the last 45 minutes, nearly three times their
first-half output. It wasn’t just the number of attempts - the renewed
intensity, the sense that every pass and run carried purpose. The national team
looked, at last, like it had broken free from the malaise that haunted its
earlier performances in the qualifiers.
This win,
however, is not merely a statistic or a morale booster. It’s a glimpse of what
this squad could become when it plays without hesitation - when it believes in
its own potential. There’s still a long road ahead, and Argentina’s lead
remains daunting, but this performance whispered possibilities.
The Road Forward
Consistency will be the true measure of Brazil’s resurgence. They must carry this verve into every match to challenge Argentina and Uruguay at the top of the table. There is little room for complacency in the relentless world of South American qualifiers, where form ebbs and flows as unpredictably as the Amazon’s rivers.
For now,
though, Brazil can savour the night - a night when they rediscovered not just
their winning ways, but also a bit of their soul. Amid the turbulence of
qualification campaigns, this victory against Peru is a reminder: that Brazil is
still capable of brilliance when it chooses to believe.
Thank You
Faisal Caesar
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