“A Humiliating Blow”: South Korea Falls 2-3 to Saudi Arabia, While Japan Defeats Brazil 3-2 in a Match Featuring Vinicius and Raphinha’s Full Starting Lineup

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It was a humiliation. On the day the South Korean national football team bowed to 55th-ranked Saudi Arabia in the FIFA rankings, rival Japan defeated 6th-ranked Brazil.

The Japanese national football team secured a 3-2 victory over Brazil in a friendly match held at Singapore National Stadium on the 14th (Korean time), thanks to a decisive goal by Takahiro Sakamoto (Coventry City) in stoppage time of the second half.

Unlike the South Korean national team, which suffered its first defeat in 21 years with a 2-3 loss to Saudi Arabia in Doha, Qatar, the previous day, Japan recorded its second-ever victory against the world’s strongest Brazil, avenging their 1-2 comeback loss in the Round of 32 at the 2026 North and Central America World Cup in June just five months later.

Under manager Carlo Ancelotti, Brazil fielded a large number of key starters from major European clubs on this day, including Vinicius Junior (Real Madrid), Raphinha (Barcelona), Bruno Guimaraes, Gabriel Magalhaes (both Arsenal), and Estevao (Chelsea), but failed to withstand Japan’s offensive pressure.

Japan took the early lead. In the 15th minute of the first half, Ritsu Doan (SC Freiburg) won the ball near the halfway line and threaded a pass forward. Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad), who received it, beat Brazilian defender Zair Cunha (Nottingham Forest) before firing a sharp left-footed shot into the top right corner of the goal.

An additional goal came just four minutes later. In the 19th minute of the first half, Shuto Nakano broke through on the right flank and delivered a cutback near the goal line. Keito Nakamura, positioned inside the penalty box, calmly trapped the ball before splitting the net to the lower left with a left-footed shot, extending Japan’s lead to 2-0.

Brazil launched a counterattack. In the 33rd minute of the first half, Estevao’s shot was deflected by goalkeeper Zion Suzuki’s save and spilled loose. Guimaraes regained possession and connected with Vinicius. Vinicius struck a powerful long-range shot from near the penalty arc, pulling one goal back.

Trailing 2-1 at halftime, Brazil launched an all-out offensive in the second half to level the score. In the 30th minute of the second half, Vinicius received a short corner kick from Guimaraes on the left side, shook off Yuki Sawayama, and his shot hit the right goalpost before rolling into the net, tying the game at 2-2. In the 35th minute of the second half, substitute Enrick (Olympique Lyonnais) threatened Japan with a long-range shot that struck the crossbar.

Having weathered the crisis, Japan completed a dramatic late goal. In the first minute of stoppage time in the second half, amid chaos in front of the goal, a deflected ball fell to Sakamoto on the right side of the penalty box. Sakamoto pierced the top left corner of the net with a right-footed shot, regaining the lead.

Brazil, which let slip a draw that was all but secured, lost its composure in the closing moments of the match. In the second minute of stoppage time in the second half, immediately after conceding, Raphinha, who had already been substituted and was on the bench, and manager Ancelotti fiercely protested the referee’s decision and were both shown red cards and sent off. Japan held firm without conceding in the remaining time, putting the final period on their 3-2 victory.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original