Japan’s knockout curse continues as Brazil snatch victory in stoppage time

Japan suffered their third consecutive World Cup last-16 elimination in stoppage time after Brazil snatched a 2-1 win through Gabriel Martinelli’s 95th-minute strike. The pattern is now familiar: in 2002 they lost to Turkey at home, in 2010 they were eliminated on penalties by Paraguay, and in 2018 Nacer Chadli’s 94th-minute counter spelled their exit with Belgium. This time, Martinelli’s late intervention ended Japan’s hopes under the floodlights. Brazil, meanwhile, survived a scare of their own. Zion Suzuki, the ex-STVV goalkeeper who made 32 appearances for the Belgian club in 2023-24 before joining Parma, produced a string of saves in the second half to keep Japan at bay. His fingertip stop denied Vinicius an almost certain goal, preserving a 1-1 draw. The deadlock was broken by Casemiro, who equalised after Suzuki had tipped Gabriel’s cross onto the post. At 34 years and 126 days, Casemiro narrowly missed becoming the oldest Brazilian scorer in World Cup history; only Bebeto, aged 34 years and 137 days, sits above him.

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Japan had led through Kaishu Sano’s 29th-minute finish, a composed finish after a swift counter. But Brazil’s response was immediate in the second half, with Suzuki repeatedly called into action before Casemiro’s header restored parity. Vinicius twice threatened to break the deadlock, first after a mazy run that ended with Suzuki’s crucial save, then with a curling effort that rattled the post. The drama peaked in added time when Martinelli’s low shot past Suzuki sealed Brazil’s passage to the quarter-finals. For Japan, it is another heartbreak in a sequence of knockout exits. For Brazil, the relief is palpable after a nervy second half where Suzuki’s heroics kept them in the game.

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Brazil’s progress comes despite a sluggish start and a second-half surge that saw them dominate possession and create chances. Their quarter-final awaits, while Japan’s wait for a first knockout-stage win continues. Suzuki’s performance earned praise for his composure under pressure, while Martinelli’s late strike will be remembered as the moment that decided the tie. The emotional contrast between the two teams could not have been sharper: elation for Brazil, tears for Japan.