HOUSTON — Gabriel Martinelli scored the winning goal late in injury time to give five-time champion Brazil a 2-1 win over Japan in the Round of 32 on Monday at the World Cup.
Martinelli, who had come on as a second-half substitute, scored in the sixth minute of stoppage time as the match appeared to be headed to extra time.
“Above all else, we wanted to freshen up the field because Martinelli has a lot of intensity as a player,” Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti said through a translator. “When he goes in the match, he’s always on his top game.”
Brazil next will face Ivory Coast or Norway on Sunday in East Rutherford, N.J., in the Round of 16.
“We can never be content with what we’re doing,” Ancelotti said. “We’re doing a good job. We are performing. But you can never be content because we want to play better. We want to play at the highest level.”
Casemiro earlier had equalized for Brazil on a header in the 56th minute off an assist from Gabriel Magalhães after just missing another chance two minutes earlier. The shot sailed just out of reach of the outstretched hand of Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki and into the net.
Kaishu Sano stole a misplaced pass at midfield and took it down the field before a right-footed shot from above the half circle put Japan ahead in the 29th minute.
“There is not not making mistakes, because nobody is perfect,” Ancelotti said. “But you have to overcome it, and you have to push it forward. The team did a good job of that in the second half.”
Vinícius Júnior, who has scored four goals in this year’s tournament, had a chance to put Brazil on top in the 58th minute, but his shot from the left box was deflected by Suzuki and went off the far post.
Casemiro left in the first minute of second-half stoppage time with what appeared to be a leg injury.
Brazil had two chances to even the score early in the second half before breaking through. On the first one, Suzuki blocked a header from Bruno Guimarães in the 52nd minute. Soon after, Casemiro’s header bounced off a defender’s head and Suzuki’s face. Suzuki finished with four saves.
Brazil great Neymar didn’t play Monday after making his first appearance for the team since 2023 in the previous game against Scotland. He played only 14 minutes in that 3-0 win after missing the first two group matches at the World Cup with a right calf injury.
“I was seriously considering putting him on the pitch,” Ancelotti said. “In the end, we did not need him.”
Japan has never won a knockout match at the World Cup, going 0-4, including also taking the lead the last two times in 2018 and 2022 before losing.