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By Tyler Erzberger
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Brazil have the most World Cup titles with five, and they want to win their first since 2002 in the United States, just like they did in 1994.
First, though, they needed to get through the group stage, and they did that in flying colors, leaving Group C as the top-placing nation.
But did they get full marks, or do they still have some work to do?
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Expectation
It was always a two horse race in Group C, with Brazil playing their toughest adversary first in Morocco. While normally Brazil would be heavily favored over the African nation, Morocco is no longer a pesky underdog, having made it all the way to the semifinals of the Qatar World Cup in 2022.
Anything other than wins over the other two teams, Scotland and Haiti, would be looked at as a massive failure.
Reality
Brazil went by the book through the first three games of the event. They started slow against Morocco but ultimately tied that game with some magic from Vinicius Junior. After that, though, they didn't give up a single goal in either of their next two matches, beating both Haiti and Scotland in blowouts where Brazil never felt in danger.
This was always supposed to be the tournament where Brazil's hopes were put into Vinicius, and he's been the true ace they've needed to navigate a challenging group as the best team. Brazil still needs to get stronger through the midfield if they want to challenge for a sixth star, but for now, it's a passing grade for one of the favorites.
Final Grade: A-
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