Brazil coach Dunga did little to shake his reputation as a cautious tactician in his side’s Copa América Centenario opener against Ecuador on Sunday, as the game ended with no goals and not many more goal-scoring opportunities. However, he’ll certainly be expecting more from his team’s second match, which comes against tournament minnows Haiti in Orlando on Wednesday. Anything other than a comfortable victory would surely be a disappointment for a side with ambitions of winning this tournament outright.
Brazil vs. Haiti 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch Copa America online
Brazil should have too much for Haiti in their Copa América clash on Wednesday.
Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
However, Brazil should be wary of underestimating their opponents, who were only beaten by a single goal in their tournament opener against Peru in Seattle. They may not score many goals, but they’re well-drilled at the back and certainly shouldn’t be quaking in their boots at the prospect of going up against a functional Brazil team. Things would be different had Neymar been playing, but a deal struck between Barcelona and the Brazilian national team has ensured his international involvement this summer will come at the Rio Olympics in August.
Key player: Philippe Coutinho (Brazil)
In the absence of Neymar, much of Brazil's creative burden will fall on the shoulders of Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho, who comes into this tournament on the back of what is almost certainly his best domestic season yet. In the first match against Ecuador he was placed out on the left flank, rather than in his favored role dropping between the center of the opponent's midfield and defense. It'll be interesting to see if Dunga offers him a little more creative freedom in this encounter.
Key question: Will Haiti be sufficiently disciplined in defense?
Haiti’s 1-0 defeat in their tournament opener against Peru ensured that they have only conceded more than a single goal in a match once since March 2015. They may not be the most storied of footballing nations, but they’ve shown an impressive knack of keeping things tight. It’s unlikely that they’ll have enough defensive discipline to keep even a Neymar-less Brazil at bay, but don’t completely count them out.
Match date/time: Wednesday, June 8, 7:30 p.m. ET / local
Venue: Camping World Stadium, Orlando, Fla.
TV: Fox Sports 1 (US - English); Univision (US and Canada - Spanish)
Online: Fox Sports GO, Fox Soccer 2GO, Univision Deportes en vivo, Sling, fuboTV (US)
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