Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the World Cup Round of 32. Japan led 1-0, only for their first-ever knockout win to be snatched away in the final seconds.
Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in the World Cup Round of 32. Japan led 1-0, only for their first-ever knockout win to be snatched away in the final seconds.
Japan started the brighter side and took the lead. In the 29th minute, Kaishu Sano seized on a loose Brazil pass near the box, drove forward and beat Alisson. Brazil, dominant in possession but blunted by a tight Japanese block, trailed 1-0. Japan packed bodies behind it and held firm to half-time.
Things changed after halftime. "At halftime I said to the players to be patient, because sooner or later we would score a goal," Carlo Ancelotti told his team. "But we had to keep our shape to ensure we did not compromise the game further."
And they did! On 56 minutes, Casemiro climbed at the far post and headed in Gabriel Magalhães' cross to level it at 1-1. Vinícius Júnior almost put Brazil ahead soon after, only for his shot to come back off the post. The game stayed locked at 1-1. Ancelotti sent on Gabriel Martinelli just after the hour, and the substitute settled it at the death. In the 95th minute, Bruno Guimarães slipped a pass through to Martinelli, who poked it past Zion Suzuki. Brazil had it! 2-1, and into the last 16.
Ancelotti called it Brazil's best display of the tournament. "This was the most complete game we have played," the italian said. "Martinelli has a lot of intensity as a player, he is always on his top game."
Martinelli, who was treated for a bloodied eye, struggled to process the moment. "I can't explain how I feel," he said. "It'll only really sink in a while. Thank God I managed to score the goal today. I'm so happy for the team, who gave it their all. I'm lost for words."
Casemiro described the scenes after his equaliser. "It was a very tough match, and when the second goal came, I saw the whole crowd erupt with joy," the midfielder said.
Brazil controlled the match without converting it for long stretches. They held 69% possession, outshot Japan 19-5 and led on expected goals 1.69 to 0.23. Penalty-area touches finished 35 to 11 in Brazil's favour, and they created four big chances in the second half.
Japan's resistance leaned on volume defending. Takehiro Tomiyasu made nine clearances and a goal-line block, while Suzuki saved four times. The 13 fouls Japan committed broke up Brazil's rhythm.
Martinelli was brought on in the 66th minute and deployed centrally, a role he rarely fills for Arsenal. "At Arsenal I don't play that position, but I can," he told. "The manager has been talking to me about how I can play in that role, playing centrally."
Ancelotti kept Neymar, Brazil's all-time leading scorer, on the bench throughout. "I spoke to Neymar and told him that if we hadn't equalised by the 60th minute, I would bring him on," the coach said. "We were considering sending him on during extra time because he is fit and ready. However, since we scored, Neymar didn't play."
It was Brazil's first comeback in a World Cup knockout tie since beating England 2-1 in the 2002 quarter-finals. They have reached the quarter-finals in every tournament since their last-16 exit in 1990, and remain on course again.
The defeat denied Japan a first World Cup knockout victory. Brazil next play in East Rutherford, New Jersey, on Sunday, against the winner of Tuesday's tie between Ivory Coast and Norway.
