Casemiro and Matheus Cunha kicked off the international action as they were two extremes in Brazil’s 6-2 thrashing of Panama.
Until his contract expires on June 30th, Casemiro remains a Man Utd player, while Matheus Cunha’s best is yet to arrive at Old Trafford.
They both figure to be a crucial part of the Brazil setup for the World Cup, so Carlo Ancelotti saw them in action in Brazil’s friendly against Panama.
They ended up on opposite sides of the spectrum in the victory.
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How Casemiro and Matheus Cunha fared for Brazil
Casemiro played in his usual defensive midfield role, but Ancelotti has been eager to use the attacking qualities he has developed at Man Utd.
Cunha, on the other hand, started as the No. 9, after playing many roles for Brazil in the lead-up to this tournament.
No. 9 seems to be his final position in the international setup, since left-wing is occupied by Vinicius Jr., and Raphinha also needs to be included in the starting lineup.
Casemiro picked up from where he left off for United, scoring and assisting Brazil’s first two goals.
The goal was a trademark header, followed by his usual “6-7” celebration for his son, while his assist showed his best defensive work, as he intercepted a pass that fell straight into Vinicius Jr.’s feet.
The game was memorable for Cunha as well, but for the wrong reasons, as he scored an own goal and was subbed off at half-time.
He still created one chance, but it was largely a game he would like to put in the rearview mirror.
Brazilian press on Cunha and Casemiro
Both Cunha and Casemiro are favourites back in their country, and the same was reflected in the Brazilian press’ remarks after the game.
Brazilian outlet Globo rated Casemiro 7/10, which was the highest among the starting XI, praising his first-time passes and understanding with Vinicius Jr.
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They wrote: “He recovered a series of plays for Brazil. The first of these resulted in Vini Jr. scoring a beautiful goal for Brazil. He advanced some plays with first-time passes – one of them to Bruno Guimarães early on, which ended in an attempt by Matheus and then by Vini.
“He made a short pass to Raphinha, in a play that led to a foul at the edge of the area and the goal for Panama. The understanding with Vini was almost perfect, as seen in his accurate presence in the goal after a play by the number 7.”
The verdict was less glowing for Cunha, who was rated 5/10, writing, “He tried to get past his marker a few times with dribbles, but lost most of the plays. In one of them, he received a good through ball from Vini, tried a chip, but missed.”
ESPN Brasil were even more full of praise for Casemiro, also rating him 7/10, calling him a “lion” in midfield and a “centre-forward” in the attacking box.
They were much more sympathetic to Cunha, as they wrote that he did the “dirty work” for Raphinha and Vinicius Jr, which led to him struggling with his responsibilities as the No. 9. He was rated 5.5/10.
Brazil’s next game will be a tougher challenge against Egypt on June 6th.
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