Japan will play Brazil in the World Cup last 32 on June 29 in Houston, aiming to build on their surprise 3-2 home win against Brazil in a friendly last October [1, 2, 3]. Japan’s 31-year-old forward Takumi Minamino, sidelined by injury and not playing in the tournament, said the team believes embracing an underdog mentality can help them pull off an upset. "If we play with the underdog mentality, as we always have, I believe we have the ability to make something happen in these one-off games," Minamino said [1].
Japan faces challenges from injuries to key players. Coach Hajime Moriyasu will be without Wataru Endo and Kaoru Mitoma, both ruled out by injury [1, 2, 3]. Takefusa Kubo, who left Japan’s opening 2-2 draw against the Netherlands on June 24 due to a knee injury, is rehabbing with hopes of returning for the knockout stage. Minamino added, "He is especially spirited, so he needs no encouragement from me. Everyone believes we will welcome him back in the knockout stage, and he is rehabbing with that same belief" [3, 1].
Brazil, five-time World Cup champions, have revamped their squad since the friendly, deploying a completely different defense and showing strong form in North America, winning their last two matches after a 1-1 draw with Morocco [1, 2]. Star Vinicius Jr has scored four goals in the tournament so far, while Neymar has returned after a three-year injury layoff [1, 2]. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said, "We’re not perfect. We can improve. For example, our pace on the ball. We can be quicker. But I’m pleased because the team has improved a lot since the first match. Now it’s a knockout competition. We need to show real grit" [2].
Veteran Japanese defender Yuto Nagatomo praised Japan’s progress over the past two decades, saying, "If we’re talking about these past 10, 20 years, I think Japan have upped their level more than Brazil have." He also called Japan’s World Cup base camp near Nashville "the most comfortable I’ve experienced in five World Cups" [1, 2].
Brazil secured a 3-0 win over Scotland on June 28 to boost their confidence ahead of the knockout match [1, 2]. Japan and Brazil will meet tomorrow in Houston, with Japan hoping their underdog mindset and recovering players can help them upset the favored Brazilians [1, 2, 3].
