Key events
83 mins: There was never much sting in this match but whatever existed is ebbing away.
81 mins: Cue in the rack for Ancelotti. Off come Vinicius and Guimaraes. Ederson and Danilo Santos get to stretch their legs. A change for Haiti too with Etienne replacing Bellegarde.
80 mins: Haiti enjoy some possession on the left but as soon as they look infield there’s a lack of understanding between Isidor and Bellegarde and Brazil clear.
78 mins: Endrick thinks he’s scored and begins his Robin Hood celebration but he just strayed offside attempting to run in behind and collect Rayan’s throughball.
77 mins: Brazil execute a methodical sweeping counterattack that unstitches Haiti. Rayan is decisive, turning under pressure and forcing the ball on. It eventually reaches Douglas on the left corner of the box but he lashes over.
76 mins: Joseph makes Danilo look foolish with some skill on the left but after cutting inside the move breaks down.
Updated at 22.11 EDT
75 mins: Bellegarde has a decent crossing opportunity from a free-kick on the left but Brazil head it purposefully clear.
73 mins: He’s up again. Feel free to exhale Arsenal fans.
72 mins: Joseph has replaced Providence for Haiti, and Jean Jacques has gone into the book for following through on Martinelli. The Arsenal man has gone down clutching his right foot.
70 mins: It’s three quarter time at the Linc.
68 mins: Brazil maintain the pressure and Martinelli almost finishes a move of pure quality. Guimaraes pings the ball into Vinicius’ feet, the Real star nonchalantly controls and studd-rolls it backwards in one move, teeing up Martinelli to curl a right-footed shot against the bar from just inside the box. That was lovely to watch.
For any volleyballers out there, it was like a setter executing a short reverse set for a hitter coming in close on the burst.
67 mins: Guimaraes with a free kick around 30m out to the left of the box. He chips it over for Casemiro to nod across the penalty area but the next touch is from a Haitain.
66 mins: Two of Brazil’s front three are now teenagers. Endrick and Rayan have plenty of time to show their worth.
65 mins: Duverne sweeps a snapshot wide of the post with the second ball following a free-kick on the right that earned Douglas a yellow card.
64 mins: Close! The corner is a beauty, ripping with topspin to the nearpost where Ade times his jump and flick superbly, drawing a reflex save from Alisson and an acrobatic clearance from Gabriel.
Time for a couple of Brazilian subs now with Paqueta and Cunha making way for Endrick and Martinelli. The crowd are delighted the young Real Madrid loanee is on. He is a fan favourite back home.
63 mins: First a Haiti sub. Deedson for Casimir.
62 mins: Rayan looks promising cutting in off the right with intent, but the link-up play breaks down and Haiti clear. Providence shows some nible footwork on the left wing but elects not to cross. After recycling play to Bellegarde, Haiti’s best player drives towards the box and win’s a corner.
60 mins: Brazil adopt a passive 4-4-2 without the ball, happy to watch Haiti pad their possession stats in innocuous areas. Haiti get to the edge of the box, Brazil step out to intercept, break, but Cunha can’t execute in the final third, but does well to win the ball back.
58 mins: Kaka and Ronaldo are sat behind Johnny two games in the posh seats. They watch Brazil work some triangles down the left and Vinicius whip over a menacing cross that requires – but does not find – a teammate steaming in at the near post. Sides without genuine strikers seem to be commonplace at this World Cup, and repeatedly exposed for their absence.
57 mins: And in the blink of an eye Vinicius should make it four but elects not to shoot early after being picked out by a majestic long diagonal pass form Marquinhos. Instead the Real forward tried to crab along the edge of the box to create more room for a right-footed curler.
56 mins: Haiti are seeing plenty of the ball this half. Providence has shown some nice touches on the left. Simon has made an improvement since his introduction. Brazil have looked oddly passive.
54 mins: This is sub-optimal fare. O jogo bonito it is not.
52 mins: Tekkers from Alisson to avoid the charging Isidor, but his outfield teammates continue to concede possession cheaply. Haiti try to hit down the right channel but Gabriel is too canny and shepherds the ball out of play.
Alisson Becker deals with Sunderland man Wilson Isidor. Photograph: Shawn Thew/EPAShare
Updated at 22.19 EDT
50 mins: There’s a lack of fluency from both sides at the start of this half. Haiti are trying to show more urgency though.
48 mins: Yep, Haiti are now lined up in a 4-4-2 to allow extra pressure on the Brazil midfield which was given so much time and space in the first half. And the change almost pays immediate dividends with Douglas giving the ball away cheaply to Isidor but the sub isn’t decisive enough in the D.
46 mins: Haiti see the ball early after the restart. I think they’re gone back to a back four with Simon dictating play from the base of midfield.
Two subs for Haiti at the break with Arcus and Pierrot making way for Simon and Isidor.
Is the main point of interest now goal difference, to determine whether Brazil or Morocco finish top of the group?
Haiti’s xG is zero. See you for the second half in a bit.
I think we have an answer to the half-past kick-off conundrum. Over to Helio Felix:
“9.30 PM (local time in Rio, São Paulo, etc) is a traditional time for Brazilian games, mainly during working days (for example, the Wednesday night games of the Brazilian football league on TV). It is due to the main TV channel (Globo), that prefers this time to fit its schedule (after nightly news and after the traditional daily soap opera). Brazilian TV certainly made that request to FIFA.”
Marcos, from the hydration break, is back. “Matheus Cunha is an excellent striker running in behind and being that fox in the box. Casemiro has been great at breaking up the play, Guimarães has progressed the ball well, and what is there to say about Paquetá’s moments of magic over the top? Turns out that compared to Ancelotti and his staff, I DKSAF (don’t know s*** about football).”
Obviously 3-0 is a very welcome scoreline for Brazil, but their play has been far from sparkling. They remain very much a work in progress.