Hundreds of Brazilian fans came out with long faces for the opaque debut of the five-time world champion team on Saturday in the 2026 World Cup, after rescuing a 1-1 draw against Morocco.

“A lot of suffering, a lot of mistakes, not having control of the ball and lack of attack,” was the summary of Lewis Lowry, an American from North Carolina who proclaimed himself “more Brazilian” than his wife, Bella Rezende, daughter of a Brazilian father born in Minas Gerais.

They left early Saturday morning from Arizona to witness the start of World Cup Group C action. They gathered with other fans for the football party at the famous “Brazil Corner” on Venice Boulevard, in Culver City.

"I was surprised that Brazil had shown a lot of poverty, but obviously Neymar wasn't on the field; perhaps there would have been more attacking capacity," he said. "We should have started Endrick as a starter and forward. A lot of things that could have happened."

Neymar Jr., Brazil's great figure, was absent from the game at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey due to a grade two tear in his calf. His possible return would be scheduled for June 19 against Haiti.

“The way Brazil played now, I don't see a good future for it,” said Rezende. “We need Neymar to reach at least the semi-finals.”

Brazil suffered from Morocco's intensity in the first half and then had notable difficulties in generating scoring opportunities in the complementary half.

The team led by the Italian Carlo Ancelotti avoided the setback thanks to the great goal from the stellar Vini Jr., but left with the feeling of having been able to offer more.

Now, Brazil will focus its attention on the duel against Haiti, next Friday, June 19, in Philadelphia, a match that could be decisive for its classification to the next phase.

Brazilian distrust among Los Angeles fans

William Chengasqui, a soccer fan from Parana, Brazil, recalled that when Morocco opened the scoring through Ismael Saibari, in the 21st minute, after masterfully defining the exit of Alisson.

"I got a lump in my throat. We played a very bad first half, but that's almost always the case in the debut," Chengasqui said. “Little by little it will improve, but I don't think that by playing like this we can hope to win the World Cup.”

At “Esquina Brasil”, three small Brazilian restaurants offered an authentic experience of the South American country to diners, offering them hamburgers, pizzas, traditional saltados (Brazilian street food) and typical dishes, including grilled meats, as well as the traditional Feijoada, a black bean stew with pork and beef served with white rice and classic drinks.

"The game was good until before they scored; Morocco was strong this year, but I hope Brazil wins the next game," said Mara Koller, a fan from Curitiba, Brazil. "The Brazilian team is good, but it needs time to win. The start is always difficult."

Koller, her husband Tiao Kreimendalil and their friend, Aurelen Colamartino, were at the Café Brasil soccer party on Washington Boulevard in West Los Angeles, where they served some caipirinhas, which is Brazil's most famous national cocktail [a refreshing, citrusy drink made from cachaça, a Brazilian distillate of sugar cane juice, chopped lime, sugar and ice].

They miss Neymar

"Let's go Brazil! Let's go Brazil!", the Canarinha fans were encouraged, who could not control the ball while being overwhelmed by the so-called "Brazilian Lions of Africa", of the Moroccan team, semi-finalist in 2022.

“We need more players like Neymar,” said Agra Gurgel, a member of the family of owners of Café Brasil, originally from Natal, the capital of the state of Rio Grande do Norte.

“I don't believe Brazil can win the sixth World Cup,” predicted Guatemalan immigration lawyer Carlos Calderón, who watched the actions along with his wife Karina. They tasted the famous Feijoada and Pão de Queijo, a baked roll, soft and elastic on the inside, made with cassava flour and grated cheese.

“The current Brazilian players are not like the ones before, like Rivelino, Tostao, Ronaldo, Romario, Ronaldinho or Roberto Carlos… they have not gotten along well as a team,” he said.

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