Gabriel Martinelli came to the rescue as Brazil survived a tough scare to beat Japan 2-1 in a thrilling World Cup Round of 32 match on Monday night in Houston. The five-time champions showed their fighting spirit by fighting back from an early deficit, with Martinelli scoring a dramatic winner deep in stoppage time at the Houston Stadium.
Japan took a surprise lead in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano intercepted a loose pass from Danilo and fired a powerful shot past goalkeeper Alisson Becker. The Samurai Blue defended brilliantly throughout the first half, frustrating Brazil’s star attackers and limiting their space with disciplined pressing and compact defending.
After the break, Brazil came out with much more intensity and urgency. Coach Carlo Ancelotti’s halftime talk clearly worked as the team pushed forward aggressively. They equalized in the 56th minute when Casemiro powered home a header from a Gabriel Magalhaes cross.
Vinicius Jr nearly won it with a brilliant solo run, but Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki produced an outstanding save to push his shot onto the post. The match remained tense until the final moments. In the 95th minute, Bruno Guimaraes slipped a clever pass to Martinelli, who calmly finished at the far post to send the Brazilian fans into wild celebrations.
“I can’t explain how I feel,” said a delighted Martinelli after the match. “Thank God I scored the goal. I’m so happy for the whole team.”
This victory means Brazil will face either Norway or Ivory Coast in the Round of 16 in New Jersey on Sunday. The result denied Japan their first-ever World Cup knockout stage win and kept Brazil on track for another deep run in the tournament, having reached the quarter-finals in every edition since 1990.
The dramatic late winner marked one of the latest winning goals in normal time in a World Cup knockout match since 1966. Brazilian players and staff celebrated joyfully on the pitch while the Japanese team looked on in disbelief.
