Brazil and Japan will meet on June 29 in a highly anticipated FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash at Houston Stadium. Brazil, unbeaten so far in the tournament, face a confident Japanese side that stunned them 3-2 in a friendly last October after recovering from a two-goal deficit.
Ahead of the match, Brazilian youngster Rayan admitted he was not familiar with Japan’s standout players but acknowledged the strength of the Samurai Blue.
“I don’t know who their best player is. I’ll need to watch the videos first. We know Japan are a strong team, and we’ll have to work hard to beat them,” he said.
Japan have impressed throughout the tournament with their disciplined structure, intelligent movement, and ability to exploit space. Their performances earned them draws against the Netherlands and Sweden in the group stage. Ayase Ueda of Feyenoord and Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada have each scored twice, with Ueda famously netting the winner in Japan’s comeback victory over Brazil last year.
Despite lacking Brazil’s rich footballing history and star power, Japan enter the match believing they can create another upset. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu said his team embraces the underdog tag.
“Many people see us as underdogs, and that’s fine. We respect Brazil, but just like last year, we believe we can win and make history,” Moriyasu said.
Brazil began their campaign with a draw against Morocco before recording convincing 3-0 victories over Haiti and Scotland to finish top of Group C. Vinicius Junior and Matheus Cunha have been central to Brazil’s attack, scoring four and three goals respectively, while Bruno Guimaraes has contributed three assists.
The five-time world champions have largely managed without Neymar, who missed the start of the tournament due to a calf injury sustained in May. The forward made his return against Scotland, featuring for the final 15 minutes. Neymar has enjoyed success against Japan in the past, scoring his first international goal against them in the 2013 Confederations Cup and later netting four goals in a friendly encounter.
Head coach Carlo Ancelotti believes his side is improving but insists there is room for further progress.
“We’re not perfect and can still improve, particularly in how quickly we move the ball. However, the team has developed significantly since the opening match. Now that we’re in the knockout stages, character and determination become even more important,” Ancelotti said.
The Brazil vs Japan match will kick off at 10:30 PM IST at Houston Stadium. It will be televised on Unite8 and streamed live on Zee5.
