A goal deep in injury time, saw Brazil edge out a defiant Japan 2-1 to qualify for the Last 16 at the FIFA World Cup.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan dominated the first half and took a well deserved lead only to see their campaign end in heartbreaking fashion with the experience of the Brazilians and the craftiness of their coach turning the match around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kaishu Sano gave Japan the lead in the 29th minute with Casemiro heading home the equaliser in the 56th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazil kept pushing and were rewarded with the winning goal through Gabriel Martinelli deep into added time as Japan’s dream came to an end. The five-time champions will face either Cote d’Ivoire or Norway in in the Round of 16 on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the Brazil fans’ drums providing a constant rhythmic backdrop, Carlo Ancelotti’s side were on top early on in front of a crowd of 68,777,<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Images of Neymar on the bench popped up on the big screens, the noise from the Brazil fans going up another notch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Defensive midfielder Sano was booked for crunching in on Vinicius Junior, then Brazilian attacker Matheus Cunha forced goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to turn the ball wide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan, who beat Brazil 3-2 in October in a home friendly for their first victory over the South Americans, then enjoyed a spell in the ascendancy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just before the half-hour mark Hajime Moriyasu’s team took the lead, and it stemmed from an error by Danilo as he gave the ball away with a sloppy pass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sano, one of four changes from Japan’s 1-1 draw with Sweden at the end of the group phase, picked the ball up in the centre circle and got away from the 34-year-old Casemiro – who was on a booking – with ease.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sano, who plays for Mainz in Germany, drove upfield before sweeping the ball past goalkeeper Alisson. It was his first goal for his country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Now the Brazil supporters were edgy, groaning when a move broke down or a pass went backwards.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazil, whose last FIFA World Cup triumph was in 2002, looked unconvincing at the back and ineffective in attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ancelotti was forced into a change at the break, an emotional Lucas Paqueta limping off in distress with the attacking midfielder replaced by 19-year-old striker Endrick.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Japan, who thrashed Tunisia and held the Netherlands and Sweden to reach the last 32, had Brazil where they wanted them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazil ramped up the pressure to start the second half and Japan defender Takehiro Tomiyasu twice kept the ball off the line, not that he knew much about it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Brazil were soon level, Arsenal defender Gabriel sending in an inviting cross for midfielder Casemiro to head in unmarked at the back post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The danger man Vinicius, well stifled up until then, turned the Japan defence inside out and stabbed the ball towards Suzuki, who directed it onto the post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was all Brazil as they pushed for a late winner, with Vinicius – who scored four times in the group stage – increasingly in the thick of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then came Martinelli’s late intervention, with the Arsenal winger slotting home Bruno Guimaraes pass to send the Brazil fans into wild celebrations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A goal deep in injury time, saw Brazil edge out a defiant Japan 2-1 to qualify for the<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":14329,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[430],"tags":[276,63],"class_list":["post-14328","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-football","tag-fifa","tag-football"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t