Brazil were held to a 1-1 draw by Morocco in their opening World Cup Group C fixture at the New Jersey New York Stadium.
Vinicius Jr produced a moment of stunning quality to rescue Brazil after they fell behind and looked decidedly second best for long periods.
The Real Madrid forward received the ball on the left side of the penalty area from Bruno Guimaraes before cutting inside onto his right foot and lashing a brilliant strike into the roof of the net.
It was his 10th goal for Brazil, three of which have now come on US soil, and it saved the five-time world champions from losing an opening World Cup game for the first time since 1934.
South American football expert Tim Vickery told BBC Sport: “Ideally you want the team to make the stars, here you have a case of the star saving the team.”
Former Uruguay and Chelsea midfielder Gus Poyet was equally blunt in his assessment of Brazil’s overall display, telling BBC Sport: “We were expecting more from them.”
“I was surprised how bad technically they were today. I don’t know if it was the pitch, maybe the pitch didn’t help but they were missing passes, simple passes that you would expect the Brazilian players to do well,” Poyet added.
Former England captain Alan Shearer described the performance as “ragged” in his assessment for BBC Sport, reflecting widespread concern about Brazil’s display.
Carlo Ancelotti, making his debut as a head coach at a World Cup at the age of 67, was forced to apologise following the stifling New Jersey encounter.
“I am sorry we didn’t play as well as we hoped,” the Italian said in his post-match media conference after a difficult evening for the South American giants.
Ancelotti was brought in following a turbulent qualifying campaign in which Brazil won only three of their first eight matches, eventually finishing fifth in the South American qualifying table with six defeats in 18 games.
Casemiro, 34, struggled in the heat before being replaced at half-time, while defender Roger Ibanez also failed to return for the second half as Morocco dominated large spells of the contest.
“We have to do better, that’s very clear. We have to have a more balanced team and we have to be more aggressive,” Ancelotti said after the final whistle.
“I am not disappointed but I am not satisfied either. Not everything goes perfect and we have to accept criticism,” the five-time Champions League-winning manager continued.
Brazilian football expert Marcus Alves noted that doubts continue to surround Vinicius despite his individual brilliance, pointing to the penalty shootout exit against Croatia at the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals as a defining moment of unresolved expectation.
Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart was full of admiration for the goal itself, telling BBC One: “He cuts in, smashes it past Bono. What a moment.”
Vinicius had spoken with conviction before the tournament began, saying: “I want to try to write the history of the country and the national team. We must do everything to win.”
Brazil face Haiti in Philadelphia on 19 June before taking on Scotland in Miami on 24 June, giving Ancelotti the opportunity to address the squad’s clear lack of balance in midfield.
Vickery offered a cautious note of optimism, telling BBC Sport: “This is precisely why Brazil are so dangerous. How many teams can play that badly and still be in the game? It’s the individuality.”
Brazil, seeking a first World Cup title since 2002, can ill afford another underwhelming display if they are to silence growing doubts about the direction of the most successful nation in the tournament’s history.
