Vinicius and Brazil were overwhelmingly outmatched by Japan

Vinicius's Brazil went ahead 2-0 but ended up losing to Japan after a comeback. The "Blue Samurai" demonstrated not just offensive power but also willpower, discipline, and commitment in this win.

Vini was unable to find space against Japan's defensive line

A few days ago, Brazil thrashed South Korea. The Brazilian stars were praised highly. But when facing Japan, Brazil was quickly brought back to a challenging, tough, and painful reality. They started promisingly against Asia’s strongest team at the moment but ended in disaster. Japan’s powerful comeback was sealed in the second half, causing Brazil ended their Asian tour with a defeat - the second loss for the Italian coach since he took charge.

All eyes were on Vinicius in Tokyo because he had an excellent performance against South Korea, scoring and assisting. Against the tough Japanese side, coach Ancelotti kept the Real Madrid forward in the starting lineup, positioning him again as a false nine with freedom to roam. Overall, Vinicius moved well, but in details, he did not cause much disruption to Japan’s defense. Simply put, Japan defended zonally; wherever Vinicius went, someone was assigned to handle him without needing to mark him tightly.

What seemed like an easy win for the five-time world champions, leading 2-0 at halftime, turned into a comeback by Japan in the second half. To put it bluntly, Japan conceded goals because Brazil capitalized on attacking chances effectively, except for Vinicius. Against Japan, Vinicius had no shots, no assists, no goals, and only one offside. These stats are shocking for a striker who won the FIFA The Best award in 2024 and narrowly missed the Ballon d'Or.

When Brazil conceded and Vinicius’s impact was minimal, Ancelotti had to make a change by bringing on Rodrygo. Conversely, Ancelotti substituted Vinicius after he failed to escape Japan’s persistent marking. Another factor Ancelotti didn’t anticipate was Fabricio Bruno’s two errors that led to two goals against Brazil. Such mistakes could haunt Brazil at the upcoming World Cup.

The winning goal came from a set-piece. From a corner, Ueda outjumped the defense to head in the decisive goal, sealing Japan’s 3-2 victory. This was Japan’s first win over Brazil after 14 encounters. Previously, they lost 11, drew 2, scored 5 goals, and conceded 35. This streak spanned over 30 years across World Cups, Confederations Cups, and friendlies. But if you saw Japan beat Germany and Spain in the 2022 World Cup, you realize this team no longer fears big opponents. They have ways to counter their rivals’ styles. Even when trailing, no panic or anger was visible in the Japanese players. Brazil should take this as a model to learn from.

A serious warning for Ancelotti

Losing to a team like Japan will surely remind Brazil to self-reflect if they want to return to the top, specifically aiming to win the 2026 World Cup. After the match, veteran midfielder Casemiro expressed his disappointment, saying the team "wasted an excellent preparation process" due to a second half of weak and shockingly complacent play. Even though it was a friendly, he viewed it as a very serious lesson on the journey to claim their sixth World Cup trophy in 2026.

Casemiro emphasized: "At this high level, you must maintain better balance. It’s the small details that make the difference. Today, we paid the price for our negligence. The whole team has learned a lesson and will strive to improve."

Compared to Casemiro’s tension, Ancelotti was more composed: "Individual mistakes don’t affect a player’s place in the team. What we must evaluate is the team’s reaction after those mistakes. Brazil didn’t respond well, losing balance and positive mindset. The entire squad must learn from the second half errors, especially the poor reaction after conceding the first goal. That’s a valuable lesson for the future.

We have to learn from this defeat. At least until Fabricio’s mistake (leading to the first goal), we controlled the game well. After that, the team lost spirit, which is the biggest flaw. We will continue experimenting during the FIFA Days gathering in November. The 2026 World Cup is still far away. Brazil needs long-term preparation to aim for the highest goal."

It’s too soon to judge Brazil’s future after just one loss, especially a friendly. However, fans want stability to build trust rather than ongoing anxiety.

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