Vinicius off, chaos on: Japan rally from two down to beat Brazil

Carlo Ancelotti’s Brazil fell to Japan (3–2) on a grim night in Tokyo that began with promise and ended in disaster. The Japanese comeback in the friendly match was sealed in the second half, as the Seleção closed its Asian tour with a defeat — the second loss for the Italian coach since taking charge.

All eyes were on Vinicius, who came into the friendly fresh from a brilliant performance against South Korea, where he scored and assisted. Ancelotti kept the Real Madrid forward in the lineup, again deploying him as a false nine with full freedom to roam. Vinicius led the attack, pulling defenders out of position and creating space for teammates. That movement helped Bruno Guimarães deliver a perfect assist for Paulo Henrique to finish past Suzuki, followed by another from Paquetá to Martinelli.

A comfortable win for the five-time world champions seemed inevitable — until Japan struck back. A major defensive blunder from Fabrício Bruno handed Minamino a gift for the first goal. His nightmare worsened when he accidentally deflected a shot from Nakamura into his own net. Mistakes like that could haunt Brazil at the World Cup. In response, Ancelotti made three substitutions, bringing on Rodrygo and taking off Vinicius, but the move backfired: minutes later, Japan equalized.

The winner came from a set piece — a corner kick met by Ueda, who rose above the defense to head home.

Ghosts of the past

The faces of Ancelotti and Vinicius said it all: neither expected this result, which revives familiar ghosts from the past after two defeats in their last three matches. Brazil lost in Bolivia, in El Alto, and now again, to Japan.

The next test will come in November — the perfect chance to move on from this forgettable night. Brazil’s upcoming opponents have not yet been confirmed.

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