Japan boss eyes new heights after win over Brazil

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Gazeta Esportiva.com

·14 October 2025

Japan boss eyes new heights after win over Brazil

Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu asked his players to celebrate the 3–2 victory over Brazil on Tuesday in Tokyo, but warned that the result would “paint a target” on the team’s back for the 2026 World Cup.

It was Japan’s first-ever win over Brazil, after an impressive second-half comeback against Carlo Ancelotti’s team.

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“It was a friendly, but it’s not easy to beat Brazil,” Moriyasu said. “The players worked hard, they play for the team and for the country, and they showed that today.”

Moriyasu said the result “will be felt around the world” and stressed that Japan’s goal is to win the World Cup at the next edition of the tournament, to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.

“I want the players to celebrate, but now strong national teams will pay more attention to us,” the coach said. “Beating teams like Brazil in official competitions requires progress and caution. I hope this result brings confidence for us to keep evolving.”

Brazil surrenders the lead to Japan

Brazil dominated the first half and went up 2–0 through Luiz Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli, just four days after thrashing South Korea 5–0 in Seoul.

But Japan responded strongly in the second half in front of nearly 45,000 fans at the Tokyo Stadium.

Takumi Minamino, Keito Nakamura, and Ayase Ueda scored the goals that sealed the historic comeback — Japan’s first win in 14 meetings against Brazil.

“Beating Brazil can have a big impact on our World Cup preparation,” said Nakamura. “We still have games in November and March and we want to keep this momentum.”

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.