For the second day in a row, a round of 32 match sees a go-ahead goal in stoppage-time.
Brazil managed to find the back of the net twice in their 2-1 comeback victory over Japan on Monday.
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Early on in the match, Brazil looked to exploit any mistake in the Japanese lines, holding 82% of the possession though the first 10 minutes.
In the 14th minute, Japan would see their first real opportunity of the match, receiving a free kick right outside the box following a Casemiro foul.
However, the free kick and the subsequent corner for Japan did not generate any attempts at goal.
Exiting the hydration break in the 27th minute, Japan would attempt another corner, but Ayase Ueda would lift the header high and over the bar, keeping the game even.
But just two minutes later, an intercepted pass by Japan’s Kaishu Sano would mount a quick counterattack for Japan.
Sano would fire a strike from 29 yards out, perfectly slotting it into the bottom left corner and shocking the largely Brazilian crowd.
Brazilian star Vinícius Júnior would find his first attempt of the match in the 34th minute.
And while the strike forced Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to make his first save of the day, it’s trajectory directly at Suzuki allowed the goalkeeper to make the save with relative ease.
In the 38th minute, Brazil would fancy another crack at net as Matheus Cunha would strike home an attempt.
But yet again, a weakly struck ball allowed Suzuki to easily make the save.
Japan would maintain their advantage into the half, leading World Cup hopefuls Brazil 1-0 at the break.
In the 54th minute, Brazil would create chaos inside the Japanese six-yard box with a Casemiro header that would ricochet several times in front of the face of goal.
But somehow, the ball stayed out, however, Brazil would not be denied.
Just two minutes later, Casemiro, looking for redemption, meeting a Gabriel Magalhães looping cross with a header, which he buried into the net.
And the Brazilian press would not end there, just a few minutes later, in the 58th minute, Júnior would strike another attempt onto net.
But Suzuki, with just the faintest of touches, would deny the Brazilian a goal.
The match would stand in a stalemate until late in stoppage-time.
In the 90+5 minute, it seemed the match would be the first of the 2026 World Cup to head to extra-time.
But Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli decided that he wanted to end this match after just the 90.
Guimarães would foot a pass to Martinelli inside the box where he’d fire a strike onto the back post.
The attempt would ricochet off the post and roll right over the line, putting Brazil up right at the death.
The 2-1 score in favor of Brazil would hold, sending them through to the round of 16 and eliminating Japan.
Ivory Coast and Norway will match up Tuesday at 1 p.m. with the winner advancing to face Brazil.
Follow Adrian Murillo Silva on Instagram @adrianms_official
