Five-time FIFA World Cup champions Brazil staged a dramatic second-half comeback to defeat Japan 2-1 and book their place in the Round of 16 after Gabriel Martinelli struck a stoppage-time winner in a thrilling knockout clash on Monday.
The victory keeps Carlo Ancelotti’s side on course for a record-extending sixth World Cup title and ensures they avoid another early exit after concerns over their recent knockout-stage record.
Heading into the match, Brazil had been eliminated in four of their previous six FIFA World Cup knockout matches – more than in their preceding 17 combined, when they were knocked out only three times. The South Americans had also not been eliminated in the first knockout round of a World Cup since a 1-0 defeat to Argentina in the Round of 16 at Italia ’90.
Japan, meanwhile, entered the match full of confidence after finishing second in Group F to qualify for the Round of 32. The Samurai Blue opened their campaign with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, with Daichi Kamada scoring a late equaliser to rescue a deserved point.
They followed that with an impressive 4-0 victory over Tunisia, eliminating the African side from the tournament, before securing qualification with a 1-1 draw against Sweden, where Anthony Elanga cancelled out Japan’s opener.
Ancelotti named the same starting XI that defeated Scotland 3-0 in Brazil’s final group-stage match in Miami on June 24. Bournemouth winger Rayan retained his place in attack alongside Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior, while Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer, remained among the substitutes after making his first appearance of the tournament against Scotland.
Brazil started with Alisson Becker in goal; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhães and Douglas Santos in defence; Bruno Guimarães, Casemiro and Lucas Paquetá in midfield; with Rayan, Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Junior leading the attack.
Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu made four changes to the side that drew with Sweden. Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Kaishu Sano and Junya Ito came into the starting lineup, replacing Ao Tanaka, Ko Itakura, Ayumu Seko and Yukinari Sugawara.
Japan lined up with Zion Suzuki in goal; Hiroki Ito, Taniguchi, Tomiyasu and Nakamura in defence; Kamada, Sano and Doan in midfield; while Daizen Maeda, Junya Ito and Ayase Ueda spearheaded the attack.
Brazil dominated possession from the opening whistle but lacked penetration, repeatedly exchanging short passes without troubling Japan’s disciplined defensive structure.
The Samurai Blue were compact, organised and confident in possession, using neat passing combinations to frustrate Brazil and prevent the South Americans from creating clear-cut opportunities.
Japan’s impressive organisation was rewarded in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano broke the deadlock to stun the five-time champions and send Moriyasu’s side into the halftime break with a deserved 1-0 lead.
Recognising the need for greater attacking urgency, Ancelotti introduced teenage striker Endrick in place of Lucas Paquetá after the interval, giving Brazil more width and attacking intent.
Despite increasing the tempo, Brazil initially struggled to break down Japan’s resilient defence, which continued to force attacks into wide areas while protecting the centre of the pitch.
The pressure began to tell in the 52nd minute when Brazil carved out a clear opportunity, only for goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to produce an excellent save from a powerful effort.
Two minutes later, Casemiro thought he had equalised during a goalmouth scramble, but Takehiro Tomiyasu made a crucial block to deny the Manchester United midfielder.
Brazil finally found the breakthrough in the 56th minute when Casemiro rose highest to head home Gabriel Magalhães’ inviting cross into the far corner, bringing the scores level at 1-1.
Vinicius Junior continued to torment Japan’s defence with his pace and trickery, winning a corner after weaving past defenders, while Matheus Cunha squandered a glorious chance in the 58th minute to put Brazil ahead.
Japan remained dangerous on the counterattack and nearly restored their lead in the 64th minute when Ayase Ueda unleashed a right-footed effort that was comfortably saved by Alisson Becker.
Brazil appealed strongly for a penalty in the 68th minute after Endrick went down under a challenge inside the penalty area, but the referee waved away the protests.
As the clock ticked down, Brazil continued to move the ball patiently from side to side in search of gaps in Japan’s compact defensive setup, while the Asian side defended resolutely and looked to force extra time.
Their resistance was finally broken deep into stoppage time.
In the sixth minute of added time, substitute Gabriel Martinelli latched onto an opening inside the penalty area and calmly guided his finish into the bottom corner to complete Brazil’s remarkable comeback and seal a dramatic 2-1 victory.
Brazil advance to the Round of 16 with renewed confidence as they continue their pursuit of a sixth FIFA World Cup crown, while Japan bow out after another admirable campaign in which they once again demonstrated their growing strength on the world stage.
(The Whistler)
