Brazil produced a spirited second-half response to draw level through Casemiro after falling behind to a sensational first-half strike from Kaishu Sano in their FIFA World Cup Round of 32 clash.
The match is draw 1-1 after 60 minutes.
Brazil’s relentless pressure finally paid off in the 53rd minute. After two near misses in quick succession, Casemiro rose highest inside the box to power home a superb header, restoring parity for the five-time world champions and capping an explosive start to the second half.
Earlier, the five-time world champions were stunned in the 29th minute when Sano scored his first international goal in spectacular fashion.
After Brazil lost possession in their own half, the Japanese midfielder surged forward, dribbled past several defenders and unleashed a powerful low drive from outside the box into the bottom-left corner, giving Alisson no chance.
Japan carried their 1-0 advantage into the break, with Brazil left searching for answers after an underwhelming opening 45 minutes.
The Selecao emerged from the dressing room with renewed urgency and immediately laid siege to Japan’s goal.
Goalkeeper Suzuki first denied Bruno Guimaraes with a brilliant save from a close-range header before Japan’s defenders twice produced desperate goal-line clearances to preserve their lead.
Despite the equalizer, Japan refused to sit back and immediately sought to regain the upper hand, turning the contest into a breathless end-to-end affair.
With both sides testing each other’s defensive resilience in search of a decisive match-winner, the intensity on the pitch soared as the clock ticked past the hour mark, leaving the high-stakes knockout tie on a knife-edge.
