Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal in the fifth minute of second-half stoppage time and Brazil climbed out of a halftime hole to send Japan packing 2-1 in a World Cup round of 32 match Monday in Houston.
Casemiro scored in the 56th minute after Brazil went to the locker room down 1-0 on Kaishu Sano’s 29th-minute stunner. Brazil were the better team throughout the second half but finally punctured Japan’s defense in the dying minutes.
The winning play unfolded when Ao Tanaka stole a ball in Brazil territory but immediately gave it away to Rayan. He centered it to Bruno Guimaraes, who shuttled it left to Martinelli. The Arsenal star collected it on his left foot and unleashed a bullet with his right; Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki got a mitt on it before it bounced in off the far post.
Suzuki made four saves to keep underdog Japan in the match. Alisson was credited with one for Brazil, who will face either Ivory Coast or Norway in the round of 16 on July 5 in East Rutherford, N.J.
Brazil avoided their earliest World Cup exit since stalling out in the second group stage of 1982. Japan failed to earn their first knockout win in their tournament history.
Brazil controlled the game early until a yellow card was issued to Casemiro, who put a bad tackle on Junya Ito’s right leg just outside the box in the 14th minute. Nothing came of the ensuing free kick and corner kick, but it flipped the field in Japan’s favor for a while.
Sano broke through in the 29th minute. He picked up a lazy Brazil pass, ran through midfield and struck a low shot while falling to the ground. It skidded past Alisson into the bottom-left corner, Sano’s first goal for his national team in his 15th appearance.
Brazil midfielder Lucas Paqueta limped off at the end of the first half with an unidentified injury, and Endrick replaced him.
Brazil redoubled its attack after halftime. After Suzuki made a diving save, Casemiro struck a header from close range but the ball hit defender Takehiro Tomiyasu, and teammate Hiroki Ito cleared it when it was inches away from the goal line.
But Casemiro’s next header attempt was rewarded. Gabriel Magalhaes sent in the cross to the far post, and Casemiro knocked it home across Suzuki’s body.
Vinicius Junior nearly put Brazil in front moments later with a remarkable run, but after his close-range chip shot got a piece of Suzuki’s thumb, it glanced out off the far post.
Brazil continued to hunt for the go-ahead goal but couldn’t convert. A pair of free kicks and a pair of corner kicks in the final six minutes before stoppage time came up wanting.
