Source : INDIA TODAY NEWS
Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil samba’d their way into the Round of 16 after Gabriel Martinelli’s last-gasp winner sealed a 2-1 comeback victory over a well-structured and spirited Japanese side in Houston on Monday, June 29. In a match that swung between control and chaos, Brazil eventually found their rhythm when it mattered most, turning pressure into progression with a late flourish worthy of their history.
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FIFA World Cup 2026, Brazil vs Japan: Highlights
It was far from straightforward, though, and for long stretches Brazil were forced to confront their own inefficiency against a disciplined opponent who refused to fold. Japan, organised and alert, absorbed waves of pressure and waited patiently for their moment, while Brazil’s early dominance of possession masked a lack of cutting edge in the final third.
Even so, there was a sense throughout that the game was being slowly pulled towards Brazil’s tempo. The question was not whether chances would come, but whether Ancelotti’s side could sharpen their execution before time ran out. That tension defined a first half that belonged, briefly and brilliantly, to Japan.
JAPAN’S LONG RANGER STUNS BRAZIL IN FIRST HALF
For all of Brazil’s dominance in possession, it was Japan who struck first in a game that always felt finely balanced. Despite being pinned back for long spells, the Samurai Blue looked sharp in relaying back the pressure. So, the Samurai blues punished a costly error by Danilo in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano pounced on a loose pass from the defender.
Driving unopposed from midfield, he kept his composure to finish neatly past Alisson from long range and silence the Brazilian back line. It remained Japan’s only shot on target in the first half, but it was enough to send them into the break with the advantage.
Brazil, meanwhile, controlled the ball but lacked incision. Bruno Guimaraes saw an early attempt deflected, while Matheus Cunha tried his luck from range more than once, only to find Zion Suzuki comfortably equal to each effort. Japan’s defensive shape held firm, compact and disciplined, frustrating Brazil’s rhythm and forcing growing impatience in the final third, with Lucas Paqueta visibly urging for more movement ahead of him.
DON CARLO RAISES THE EYEBROW
After the break, however, Don Carlo made his presence felt. Brazil returned with greater urgency, pushing higher, quicker, sharper—turning control into chaos for Japan’s back line. The pressure began to mount as Casemiro became increasingly influential in advanced positions, repeatedly arriving in the box as Ancelotti’s adjustments tilted the game further south.
The equaliser eventually arrived through persistence and power. A dangerous delivery caused panic in the Japanese area, and Casemiro—ever the man for the moment—rose to turn the tide, his finish restoring parity after earlier seeing a header cleared off the line. From there, Brazil surged forward with intent, with Vinicius Junior denied a spectacular goal by a brilliant Suzuki save against the post and Japan forced deeper into a low block.
Ancelotti continued to twist the narrative from the touchline, introducing Endrick for injured Paqueta and Martinelli for Cunha, as Brazil’s attacking waves grew relentless. Bruno Guimaraes pulled the strings, carving open four clear chances as the pressure became suffocating, with Japan clinging on amid a storm of yellow shirts and near misses.
Just as the game seemed destined for extra time, Brazil found their decisive moment. Guimaraes, the orchestrator-in-chief, slipped a precise pass into the Japanese box, where Martinelli arrived with ice in his veins to curl home the winner in the 96th minute—turning tension into eruption, and belief into qualification.
Japan threw everything forward in the dying moments, but Brazil held firm to complete the turnaround. In the end, the numbers told their own story: Brazil finishing with 1.72 xG to Japan’s 0.23, a reflection of sustained pressure finally made to count.
Brave, organised, and disciplined, Japan pushed Brazil far deeper than expected. But when the stage grew largest, Ancelotti’s touch and Brazil’s talent combined at the perfect time, sending them through to face either Ivory Coast or Norway in the last 16.
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SOURCE :- TIMES OF INDIA
