Five months on from the World Cup defeat that ended their run, Japan have answered Brazil in the best possible way. Hajime Moriyasu side edged the five-time world champions 3-2 at Singapore National Stadium on Saturday, the decisive goal arriving from substitute Tatsuhiro Sakamoto in the dying seconds. It triggered uproar from the visiting bench, and the night finished with coach Carlo Ancelotti and captain Raphinha both dismissed.
The opening belonged to Japan. Fed by Ritsu Doan, Takefusa Kubo, who had sat out the World Cup tie injured, burst clear and rolled a low shot beyond Pedro Morisco on 15 minutes. Four minutes on, Shuto Nakano pulled the ball back from the right flank and Keito Nakamura swept home a second.
A single man hauled Brazil back into it. Seconds after Zion Suzuki had kept out Estevao one-on-one, Vinicius Jr lashed a dipping effort from roughly 20 metres into the top corner. His second, on 75 minutes, was finer still, a curling strike that kissed both posts on the way in. Endrick then clattered the bar from distance, and the momentum looked South American.
The twist came instead through Japan. Kodai Sano effort took a deflection and dropped for Sakamoto, who finished from close range. The Brazilians argued there had been a foul in the move, and the Singaporean official Jansen Foo responded by sending off Ancelotti and the already-substituted Raphinha. The coach later said he had been punished for losing control of his touchline, while maintaining his side had been good for 70 minutes.
For Moriyasu, who is stepping down early after eight years, it was, he said, the finest game of his time in charge. The result was only Japan second success against Brazil in 16 encounters, and a second straight win over them following a friendly in Tokyo in October 2025. Both teams return to action on November 17, Japan facing Paraguay and Brazil meeting hosts Singapore.
