Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu urged his players to celebrate their stunning 3-2 friendly victory over Brazil on Tuesday but cautioned that the result would put them under greater scrutiny ahead of next year’s World Cup.
The win — Japan’s first ever over Brazil — came after a remarkable second-half comeback in Tokyo that saw Moriyasu’s side overturn a two-goal deficit to shock Carlo Ancelotti’s men.
Japan, who have never advanced beyond the last 16 at a World Cup, are aiming to lift the trophy when the tournament takes place in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. Having already beaten Germany and Spain at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Moriyasu said the result against Brazil would resonate globally.
“I want the players to celebrate this result, but strong teams will pay us more attention from now on,” he said. “Beating top teams like Brazil in official competitions requires progress and caution, and I want the players to build on the confidence they have gained from today’s result.”
Brazil looked dominant early on, with Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli finding the net after a 5-0 win over South Korea just days earlier. But Japan roared back after the interval, with Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda all scoring to send the home crowd of nearly 45,000 into a frenzy.
“It was Japan’s first win over Brazil in 14 meetings,” noted Nakamura. “Beating Brazil can have a big impact on us going into the World Cup. We still have matches in November and March, and we want to keep this momentum.”
For Brazil, the defeat marked their second under Ancelotti since the Italian took charge in May, following a 1-0 loss to Bolivia in World Cup qualifying.
Ancelotti admitted his side struggled after Japan’s first goal, saying, “We need to learn from the mistakes we made in the second half. The biggest problem was not reacting well after our first mistake.”
With several regular starters — including Brighton’s Kaoru Mitoma and Liverpool’s Wataru Endo — sidelined by injury, Japan’s victory was all the more impressive.
“It was a friendly, but it’s not easy to beat Brazil,” Moriyasu concluded. “Our players worked hard, showed unity, and gave everything for the team and the country. This result is proof of our growth.”
