Endrick shines, Brazil ends Croatia's unbeaten streak

Endrick's brilliance secures Brazil an "early Easter present" with a 3-1 victory over Croatia in a friendly at Camping World Stadium (Orlando), halting the rival's nine-game unbeaten streak (8 wins, 1 draw).

This is the final opportunity for both coaches to assess their squads before the season concludes, amid many players competing for spots in this summer's World Cup. In the first half, goalkeeper Dominik Livaković stood out by repeatedly blocking shots from Danilo and denying João Pedro's first goal in a Brazil jersey from close range. He also excellently pushed away Matheus Cunha's curling shot from the edge of the penalty area.

Nevertheless, Livaković couldn't keep a clean sheet as Brazil scored before halftime. Vinícius Júnior led a counterattack and assisted Danilo to finish with a one-touch shot into the roof of the net. On the other side, Croatia's most notable chance in the first half was Luka Vušković's header from Luka Modrić's free-kick, but it couldn't beat Bento.

In the second half, Croatia continued to press and forced Bento to showcase his skills after Andrej Kramarić's long-range shot. As expected, Brazil made several personnel changes, including withdrawing Danilo and some key players for rest. Croatia thus gained more ball control and created most of the opportunities, with Nikola Moro nearly scoring from a long-range shot that missed the post.

Croatia's pressure finally materialized when they equalized. Lovro Majer utilized Toni Fruk's through pass to shoot past goalkeeper Bento, bringing the match back to balance.

However, Brazil quickly regained the lead. Endrick was fouled inside the penalty area, earning Seleção a penalty. In his second appearance for the national team, Igor Thiago successfully converted the 11-meter shot, deceiving Livaković.

The team under coach Carlo Ancelotti then secured a 3-1 victory thanks to Gabriel Martinelli, who decisively finished from Endrick's pass. This is only Brazil's second win in their last five matches (1 draw, 2 losses), but it serves as an important warm-up ahead of the major summer tournament.

For Croatia, despite dissatisfaction with the result, the performance of coach Zlatko Dalić's squad still shows they are formidable opponents in upcoming tournaments in North America in June and July.