Brazil does not do easy. It never has. And at NRG Stadium in Houston on June 29, the five-time world champions needed every second of stoppage time to put away a Japan side that refused to read the script.
The final score was 2-1, but the scoreline flatters the comfort level. Japan led for the better part of an hour, Brazil clawed back level, and then Gabriel Martinelli, arriving off the bench as a second-half substitute, settled matters in the 95th minute to send the Selecao into the round of 16.
How it unfolded
Japan drew first blood. Sano put the Samurai Blue ahead in the 29th minute, and for a stretch that felt longer than it probably was, Brazil looked like a team that had left something in the locker room.
The equalizer came from an unlikely source. Casemiro, Brazil’s midfield anchor better known for breaking up play than finishing it, found the net in the 56th minute to level proceedings.
