Brazil is thru to the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 after a last-minute aim broke Japanese hearts in Houston.
It took till the dying minutes of the sport for the five-time world champions to lastly pull forward of the Samurai Blue, utilizing a aim from Gabriel Martinelli to lastly push previous the Japanese.
The preliminary shock of the match got here in the twenty ninth minute when Kaishu Sano opened the scoring for Japan, sending a shot from outdoors the field. The low strike skirted previous a diving Alisson, positioned completely in the backside left nook simply inside the publish.
It was the first aim that Brazil had allowed since Morocco scored first in opposition to the Seleção in the opening group match of the match.
The Japanese took the lead into halftime, and the Brazilians started to flip up the warmth on the different facet of the break, beginning with a 52nd minute header from Bruno Guimarãres that pressured a nice save from keeper Zion Suzuki. The Japanese protection was in chaos minutes later as a header from Casemiro hit Japanese defender Takehiro Tomiyasu in the face on the aim line, bouncing again to Suzuki and into one other goal-line clearance.
Casemiro bought his aim in the 56th minute off a headed ball off a cross from Gabriel Magalhães, lastly getting the Brazilians on the board.
Vinicius Junior almost scored the aim of the match simply two minutes later as he dribbled by means of the Japanese protection, toe-poking the ball towards the internet. Suzuki simply bought a hand on it, forcing it onto the publish.
Over the subsequent half-hour, the sport settled in as Japan defended admirably whereas Brazil seemed for a winner.
The second lastly got here in the remaining minute of the match as a Japan giveaway on the edge of the field was rapidly transformed by Martinelli. The Arsenal striker took a by means of ball from Guimarães and fired a shot throughout aim. Suzuki bought a fingertip on the ball but it surely wasn’t sufficient as the ball bounced in off the publish.
Brazil will face the winner of Ivory Coast-Norway in the Round of 16 at 4 p.m. ET on July 5 in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Ivory Coast and Norway play their Round of 32 match on Tuesday afternoon close to Dallas.
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