Brazil 2-1 Japan, a 90th-minute rescue that hauls C. Ancelotti’s side into the last 16 from a Round of 32 trap at NRG Stadium.
H. Moriyasu kept his 3-4-2-1 compact and Japan struck first. Kaishu Sano collected a yellow card in the 12th minute, then punished Brazil in the 29th minute with the visitors’ first clear break after Daichi Kamada had linked the lines. Brazil’s 4-3-3 kept the ball — 69 percent possession by full time — but the first period ended with Kamada booked on 45 minutes and the South Americans still short of incision.
Ancelotti moved immediately. Endrick replaced Lucas Paquetá at the interval to pin Japan’s back three. Danilo, already on a booking from the 48th minute, and Douglas Santos pushed higher, while Bruno Guimarães and Casemiro dictated from deeper slots. The pressure finally told in the 56th minute when Casemiro levelled, finishing from Gabriel Magalhães’ assist to justify the midfielder’s presence despite his 14th-minute yellow.
Japan tried to spin the momentum with a double change on 66 minutes — Yukinari Sugawara for Ritsu Doan and Junnosuke Suzuki for Keito Nakamura — but the switches simply invited more Brazilian width. Gabriel Martinelli entered for Matheus Cunha at the same moment and kept stretching Hiroki Itō’s flank. Moriyasu doubled down with Shuto Machino and Ao Tanaka in the 78th minute, yet Japan’s threat shrank to set plays and isolated runs from Junya Ito.
The decisive punch arrived in the 90th minute. Bruno Guimarães, outstanding between the lines, slipped Martinelli through and the Arsenal forward converted. It was Martinelli’s first sight of goal all night and he made it count before Bruno made way for Danilo Santos in the eighth minute of stoppage time. Casemiro, whose balance between aggression and control anchored Brazil, left in the third added minute for Fabinho to close the game out. Japan’s final roll of the dice — Koki Ogawa for Daizen Maeda in the seventh added minute — came too late.
Brazil’s centre-backs quietly ran the match. Marquinhos and Gabriel completed 246 passes between them and locked Ayase Ueda out of the penalty area, restricting Japan to five shots and an expected-goals figure of 0.23. Vinícius Júnior and Rayan kept dragging markers inside to free Douglas Santos, while Bruno Guimarães authored four key passes, including the late assist that sealed progression.
Discipline stayed manageable: alongside the early cautions for Sano and Casemiro, Kamada was booked on the stroke of half-time, Danilo followed in the 48th minute and Junnosuke Suzuki took Japan’s final yellow in the 84th minute.
Brazil stay in Houston for recovery but will move on shortly for their last-16 appointment later this week, with Ancelotti expected to monitor Casemiro’s condition after that late substitution. Japan fly home to regroup ahead of the Asian qualifiers, their campaign ending one round earlier than in Qatar. For broader tournament context, follow the developing bracket through fixtures such as Germany vs Paraguay and Netherlands vs Morocco.
Match stats:
- Possession: Brazil 69 percent, Japan 31 percent
- Shots: Brazil 19 (7 on target), Japan 5 (2 on target)
- Expected goals: Brazil 1.69, Japan 0.23
- Passing accuracy: Brazil 92 percent (625 of 682), Japan 83 percent (261 of 315)
- Corners: Brazil 6, Japan 2
- Fouls: Brazil 4, Japan 13
