Marcelin relives Haiti’s only previous goal against Brazil
He recalls Le Rouge et Bleu’s previous meetings with the South Americans
Haiti face Brazil in Group C on Friday
Scoring for your country is always something to cherish. Finding the net against Brazil is something many players can only dream about, but being the only player from your nation ever to have done so elevates it from memorable to monumental.
That is precisely how James Marcelin wrote his name into Haitian football history. At the CONMEBOL Copa America Centenario in 2016, he hit Haiti’s consolation goal in a 7-1 group-stage defeat against the South Americans. The result told one story; Marcelin’s strike told another. He had scored against the most successful team in history.
Marcelin is watching the ongoing global showpiece as a fan. He hung up his boots in 2019, having called time on his playing days after a spell with Canadian club Edmonton, but the will resonate strongly with him when the teams meet in Philadelphia on Friday, 19 June in their second Group C outing.
The teams’ most recent encounter was the very contest in which Marcelin found the net. The match had long been beyond the Haitians’ grasp by the time he struck, with Brazil five goals ahead in their group-stage meeting at the Copa América Centenario courtesy of a Philippe Coutinho double and goals from Renato Augusto, Gabriel Barbosa and Lucas Lima.
Then, midway through the second half, Duckens Nazon’s first-time effort forced Alisson into a save. Marcelin reacted quickest, turning in the rebound to claim a unique place in Haitian football folklore. Although Augusto and Coutinho both then got on the scoresheet again, Marcelin had already claimed a small piece of history as the first Haitian to score against the senior Brazil side.
“It was incredible,” Marcelin told FIFA in an exclusive interview. “Playing at the Copa America for the first time already meant a lot. It was fantastic to become the first player to score for Haiti in the competition, and the only Haitian to score against Brazil. I could never have imagined it.
“I scored other goals for Haiti but this one meant so much more,” admitted the former midfielder, who highlighted the long-standing affection in his homeland for Brazil – as well as their fierce South American rivals, Argentina. “Lots of people in Haiti get behind Brazil and Argentina, so it was important for the supporters. They loved it.”
Another past meeting that Marcellin discusses is a friendly in 2004 dubbed the ‘Match for Peace’. Just two years after winning the World Cup in Korea/Japan, Brazil travelled to Port-au-Prince to take part in a friendly match with a message. Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Roberto Carlos and Adriano were among the stars who took part in the initiative aimed at reducing armed violence. Ronaldinho worked his magic with a hat-trick, while Roger Flores added a brace and Nilmar rounded off a 6-0 rout.
Marcelin was 18 at the time and had not yet made his international bow, but he witnessed the excitement that swept through the streets on the western side of Hispaniola. “I watched the game on TV as a kid,” he recalled. “It was a special occasion. They wanted to play that match to promote peace in the country, as Haiti was going through a turbulent time – that made it even more meaningful. There were tanks in the streets and everything. It was insane!”
Now back on the global stage for the first time in 52 years, Haiti face a difficult task in Group C. They began their campaign with a but will nevertheless have taken heart from their performance against Steve Clarke’s side. The Seleção, meanwhile, are also in need of the three points after a hard-fought draw with Morocco.
The odds may be against them, but Marcelin believes Haiti can still make their mark. “I hope they do the country proud and perform well,” he said. “It’s a tough group for Haiti, but anything can happen in football.” Marcelin speaks from experience: sometimes, one moment is all it takes.
Sources: FIFA Official
