Late Martinelli strike rescues Brazil against brave Japan

Brazil avoided a major upset with a 2-1 win over Japan at NRG Stadium in Houston, Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time goal settling a tie the Samurai Blue had led. The five-time champions were second best for long periods but found a way, even as the late, laboured nature of the victory kept the spotlight on a side still short of its best. Japan, agonisingly, remain without a World Cup win over Brazil.

How it unfolded: Sano, Casemiro and a stoppage-time winner

Kaishu Sano fired Japan ahead on 29 minutes with a fine finish, and they held the lead to the break. Brazil levelled almost immediately after the restart through Casemiro around the 46th minute, and with Vinicius Junior prominent they pressed for a winner. It arrived only in stoppage time, Martinelli striking to break Japanese hearts after a contest Japan had threatened to win.

Context: champions still searching for their best

The relief was palpable, but this was another night that cast Brazil as a work in progress — rich in individual talent yet lacking the cohesion of a true favourite, and far from convincing as the knockouts deepen. The late winner masked a display below their standards, and they will need to improve markedly to go far. Japan can hold their heads high: organised and brave, a goal to the good through Sano, they fell only to a last-gasp strike, extending a painful record against Brazil but enhancing their reputation with a performance that came within seconds of a famous upset.

The next step: Brazil to the Round of 16

Brazil advance to meet the winner of Ivory Coast against Norway on July 5 at MetLife Stadium; Japan exit at the Round of 32 with pride intact. Our forecast of a Brazil win landed, though the champions were pushed far harder than the scoreline suggests, surviving rather than dominating.