Japan fought back from 2-0 down to beat Brazil 3-2 in an epic friendly in Tokyo on Tuesday.
Carlo Ancelotti made plenty of changes to his Brazil side which thumped South Korea 5-0 on Friday and two forwards who had come into the starting lineup, Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli, scored in the first half to put them 2-0 up.
But Japan came surging back in the second half and scored three times inside an incredible 19-minute spell, with Brazil’s Fabricio Bruno having a nightmare few minutes. Takumi Minamino pulled one back after a huge error from Bruno, then Keito Nakamura made it 2-2 with plenty of help from Bruno too, before Ayase Ueda headed home the winner.
Ancelotti will have been disappointed with the way his Brazil side collapsed in the second half, but he made plenty of changes and needed to see more from his squad players. As for Japan, this was a famous win and their first-ever victory against Brazil after two draws and seven defeats in their previous nine encounters.
Japan team news, focus
Liverpool midfielder and Japan’s captain Wataru Endo is a doubt with a knock, while the likes of Kubo, Ueda and Kamada will all likely come in to the starting lineup. Brighton’s star winger Kaoru Mitoma is out injured.
Brazil team news, focus
Ancelotti’s 4-2-3-1 system is exactly what this Brazil team needed and he has Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo and Estevao in attack behind Matheus Cunha. It’s a wonderfully fluid front four and the solid midfield duo of Bruno Guimaraes and Casemiro give Brazil plenty of balance. Joelinton, Lucas Paqueta, Igor Jesus, Richarlison and Gabriel Martinelli could come in to the starting lineup to freshen things up.
Japan vs Brazil prediction
This feels like it might be a draw as Japan will sit deep and look to frustrate Brazil, while Ancelotti will make plenty of changes. Japan 1-1 Brazil.
Japan vs Brazil preview
After making plenty of changes in his first few months in charge, it’s clear Carlo Ancelotti is cooking with the Selecao.
Both Estevao and Rodrygo scored doubles in the big win against South Korea and Ancelotti has made Brazil solid defensively and is getting the best out of Estevao, Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior in attack. Ancelotti has kept things simple and is proving that managing a team stacked with so much talent isn’t rocket science. As long as they stay solid defensively Brazil have so many wonderful individuals who can win any game. They are building some real momentum ahead of the 2026 World Cup next summer.
Japan will also be at the World Cup and they drew 2-2 against Paraguay on Friday as they are rotating their squad as they continue with their preparations for next summer. Manager Hajime Moriyasu is hugely respected and the defeats of both Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup prove that Japan have a penchant for taking down the big boys. Their preferred 3-4-2-1 keeps them solid and they are a very well-balanced side who breezed through World Cup qualifying in Asia.
How to watch Japan vs Brazil live, stream link and start time
Kick off time: 6:30am ET Tuesday (October 14)
Venue: Ajinomoto Stadium — Tokyo, Japan
TV Channel/Streaming: Globoplay, Zapping, Claro TV+, Sky+, Globo (In Brazil)
Videos: Highlights on Brazil’s YouTube channel
Read the full article here