'The strongest ever' Japan's complete football failed against Brazil... exposed limits by Samba team's individual skills and physicality

*This content was translated by AI.

Japan's 'complete system,' which it boasted of, ultimately failed to overcome the wall of the world.

In the 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32 match against Brazil held at Houston Stadium in Texas, USA, Japan took the lead with an early goal by Kai Shu Sano but conceded consecutive goals to Casemiro and Gabriel Martinelli in the second half, losing 1-2.

As a result, Japan failed to advance past the Round of 32 for the fifth consecutive time, from the 2002 Korea-Japan tournament through the 2010 South Africa, 2018 Russia, 2022 Qatar, and this tournament.

On this day, Japan adopted a pragmatic, defense-oriented style focused on narrowing the gap. Kai Shu's early goal in the 30th minute was a scene produced by Japan's unique counter-attack system, which was thoroughly calculated to intercept opponent passes and immediately strike.

But that was all. Although they attempted to control Brazil's offense with a tight five-back formation, it was impossible to withstand the relentless wave of attacks throughout the 90th minutes with organizational strength alone. The Japanese defense could not cope with the individual skills and physicality of the Brazilian players, as Casemiro scored an equalizing header with a high strike in the 11th minute of the second half, followed by Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic late winner in stoppage time.

Especially in the second half, Japan managed only a single shot, showing nothing, while Brazil unleashed a total of 11 shots (5 on target), clearly demonstrating a significant difference in ability.

Manager Hajime Moriyasu expressed strong confidence in the squad depth ahead of this tournament, stating, "We can field 2 or 3 teams." However, the reality faced in actual matches was different. Key players such as Takumi Minamino, Kaoru Mitoma, and Wataru Endo were sidelined one after another due to injuries, and even ace Takefusa Kubo was absent from the Round of 32 match due to a knee injury. With the core players missing, there was no 'crack' on the bench capable of breaking through Brazil's pressure.

Ultimately, Japan's 'complete football' fell short by a single step on the most important stage. The confidence built by defeating strong teams like England and Brazil in friendly matches proved useless in the face of the World Cup and the giant Brazil.

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*This content was translated by AI.