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Gabriel Martinelli's 96th-minute winner saw Brazil dramatically come from behind to advance to the World Cup last 16 and cruelly deny Japan a first-ever knockout stage win in the competition.
Carlo Ancelotti's side were staring down the barrel of a disastrous early exit when Kaishu Sano scored from the edge of the box in the first half - after he breezed past Casemiro too easily.
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But Casemiro made up for that slack defending by equalising after the break. Minutes after failing to convert a sitter, he headed home Gabriel's cross at the far post to the relief of the sizeable Brazil support in Houston.
Vinicius Jr almost turned the game on its head as his solo run and finish was palmed onto the post by Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
But Suzuki cruelly could not do enough on Martinelli's stoppage-time poke - only able to palm the effort onto the inside of the post before the ball rolled in.
Brazil advance to the round of 16 where they will play Ivory Coast or Erling Haaland's Norway. Japan, meanwhile, have led in each of their last three World Cup knockout games - and lost them all.
The key moments from Houston...
- 23: RED CARD? Already on a booking, Sano lunges in on Cunha on the byline. No foul is given, as the Japan midfielder toed the line.
- 29: GOAL! Sano then picks up on Danilo's poor pass and breezes past Casemiro to score from the edge of the box.
- 53: Casemiro misses sitter as his close-range header hits Takehiro Tomiyasu, then goalkeeper Suzuki, then back onto Tomiyasu on the goal-line and away to safety.
- 56: GOAL! Casemiro doesn't miss this time as he heads home Gabriel's cross at the back post.
- 58: Brazil almost complete the turnaround but Vinicius Jr's stunning run and finish is palmed onto the post by Suzuki.
- 90+6: GOAL! As the pressure grows, Bruno Guimaraes feeds the ball to Martinelli who pokes past Suzuki.
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