AFCON 2025
Brazil reached the World Cup round of 16 on Monday, surviving a dramatic scare from Japan at Houston Stadium before substitute Gabriel Martinelli struck in the sixth minute of stoppage time to complete a 2-1 comeback win.
Japan stunned the five-time champions in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano intercepted a stray Brazilian pass, ran clear of a back-pedaling Casemiro and drilled a low shot past goalkeeper Alisson from outside the box. The goal marked Sano’s first for his country and exposed a sluggish, error-prone Brazil side that looked unconvincing at the back and ineffective in attack for most of the opening period.
Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti reacted at halftime by replacing the injured Lucas Paqueta with 19-year-old striker Endrick, and the change helped spark a much-improved second-half performance. Casemiro atoned for his earlier defensive lapse by powering home an equalizer, heading in a Gabriel Magalhaes cross to level the score in the 56th minute, on the midfielder’s 90th cap. Vinicius Junior nearly snatched the lead moments later, nutmegging a defender and curling a shot that Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki somehow turned onto the post.
With the match drifting toward extra time, Bruno Guimaraes pounced on a rare Japanese giveaway and slid a pass through to Martinelli. The Arsenal winger, brought on for pace late in the contest, controlled the ball with his first touch and beat Suzuki at the near post for the winner, sealing it deep into stoppage time.
The result extends a painful pattern for Japan, who, despite eliminating Tunisia and holding the Netherlands and Sweden during the group stage, have still never won a World Cup knockout match. Brazil, chasing a record sixth title under Ancelotti, will next face the winner of Norway and Ivory Coast in New Jersey.
The win keeps alive Brazil’s streak of reaching the quarterfinals in each of the last eight World Cups, even as questions linger over the team’s form heading into the knockout rounds. For Japan, the defeat ends another deep tournament run on a heartbreaking note, with the Samurai Blue once again falling agonizingly short of a maiden knockout-stage victory.
