Special coverage of the key events of the Brazil vs Japan match in the Round of 32:
58th minute: A skillful display from Vinicius who dribbled past everyone and tried to place the ball in the net but his shot hit the post.
Goal| 56th minute: Tremendous Brazilian pressure pays off with an equalizing goal from a stunning header by midfielder Casemiro (1-1).
53rd minute: Takehiro Tomiyasu denies the Brazilian team a chance to equalize.
52nd minute: Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki shines by saving a brilliant header from Bruno Guimarães.
The Brazil team has been eliminated in four of their last six matches in the knockout stages of the World Cup, which is more than they have been eliminated in their previous 17 matches combined in those rounds.
Start of the second half| The Brazilian team is required to compensate and rectify their deficit against an organized Japanese opponent playing very cleverly.
End of the first half | Japan leads Brazil 1-0.
The Japanese team relies on rapid transitions to break through the Brazilian defenses, while Carlo Ancelotti employs a structured attacking method relying on the flanks to surprise the Samurai.
Goal| 29th minute: From midfield …Sano leads a perfect attack capped by a stunning shot that settled in Brazil's net (1-0).
This match marks Japan's fifth in the knockout stages of the World Cup, but it has been eliminated in its previous four matches. Three of Japan's opponents in those knockout stages finished the tournament in third place (Turkey in 2002, Belgium in 2018, and Croatia in 2022).
Japan has only achieved one victory in its 14 matches against Brazil in all competitions, with its only win coming in their last encounter in October last year during a friendly match held at Tokyo Stadium, ending in a 3-2 result.
Start of the match | Italian referee Maurizio Mariani announces the start of the Round of 32 match between Brazil and Japan.
The Brazil team has won all their previous four matches in the World Cup against Asian teams, including winning against Japan in 2006 with a score of 4-1. In contrast, Japan has only secured one victory in five previous encounters in the World Cup against South American teams, with their only win coming 2-1 against Colombia in 2018.