1 hour ago Martinelli scores a stoppage-time victor to nonstop Brazil done to past 16
BySam Drury
BBC Sport journalist
Half-time successful Houston and Brazil's players trudged disconnected knowing what the temper would beryllium backmost home.
They were 45 minutes from different aboriginal World Cup exit - their swiftest since 1966 - and nationalist humiliation.
Japan had kept Brazil astatine arm's magnitude successful their last-32 tie, got themselves successful front, and looked rather comfortable.
For a squad who had not travel from down to triumph a World Cup knockout crippled since 2002, things did not look bully and, for those watching on, an upset was starting to look a realistic prospect.
But we should person known amended than to uncertainty Carlo Ancelotti.
The Brazil manager is simply a serial winner.
A grounds 5 Champions League wins arsenic a manager, trophies successful each 5 of Europe's large leagues.
You sanction it, he's won it. At slightest astatine nine level.
But this is his archetypal planetary occupation and the Italian is Brazil's archetypal overseas manager astatine a World Cup, truthful surely adjacent helium was a small acrophobic aft the archetypal 45 minutes.
"No. Not really. I was assured successful our team," helium said.
Unflustered to the last. By that stage, of course, Ancelotti had masterminded Brazil's archetypal comeback triumph successful a World Cup knockout crippled since beating Turkey successful the semi-finals immoderate 24 years ago.
Crisis had been averted and a last-16 necktie against either Ivory Coast oregon Norway awaits.
But determination is nary uncertainty it required the 67-year-old keeping his chill to get them there.
Ancelotti has made a beardown commencement to beingness arsenic an planetary manager, winning 9 of his archetypal 15 games successful complaint of Brazil.
But portion helium mightiness not person felt it, the unit was undeniably connected arsenic helium walked backmost to the dressing country to present his half-time squad talk.
"It was [a scare for Brazil]," South American shot adept Tim Vickery told BBC Radio 5 Live.
"I would similar to impressment connected you the size of the humiliation that this Brazil broadside were facing astatine half-time.
"Brazil, for evident reasons, they are traditionalist snobs. The thought of being knocked out, not successful the quarter-final, but successful the past 32 against a squad from Asia.
"Even if it is unfair - of each the teams that Brazil could look arsenic radical winners, Japan were the astir unsafe to them - these players were facing a historical humiliation."
While a fig of Brazil players struggled successful the archetypal half, the lone substitution Ancelotti made astatine the interruption was enforced arsenic Endrick replaced the injured Lucas Paqueta.
"Sometimes Ancelotti's top quality is to bash nothing," Vickery added. "An oasis of calm successful each the chaos astir him - and it has paid disconnected again."
Ancelotti acknowledged that Brazil had "ran into immoderate trouble" against a well-organised Japan side, but backed his players to get themselves retired of their predicament.
"Our squad was retired connected the field. We were not mislaid similar successful the archetypal fractional of Morocco," helium said.
Purpose, strength and putting the shot successful the mixer
Casemiro heads successful Brazil's equaliser
The unit mostly stayed the aforesaid but it was a antithetic Brazil squad successful the 2nd half.
There was a intent and strength to their play that had been lacking successful the archetypal fractional and a fig of tactical tweaks, mostly notably a willingness to get the shot into the box.
Brazil enactment successful 12 crosses successful the archetypal fractional but mostly tried to interruption down a stubborn Japan backline with the intricate, abbreviated passing you mightiness expect of the South American side.
In the second, that was forgotten arsenic they enactment 28 crosses into the box. Even taking into relationship six minutes of stoppage time, that is nether 2 minutes per cross.
With runners arriving connected the blindside of the defenders astatine the backmost post, Japan struggled to header and it was small astonishment that Casemiro's equaliser came from this elemental but effectual ploy.
"Changes astatine half-time by Carlo Ancelotti made the difference," erstwhile England full-back Stephen Warnock told BBC Radio 5 Live. "Japan couldn't woody with their balls into the box."
Ex-Celtic striker Chris Sutton added: "It is astir uncovering a way. All the acquisition Brazil have, and capable successful the vessel to sound an fantabulous Japanese squad retired of the World Cup."
There is simply a romanticism to the thought of Brazil arsenic a broadside afloat of attacking flair, playing carefree football, and Ancelotti is not a manager who would privation to stamp that retired - but helium is besides alert that sometimes winning requires a antithetic approach.
"The lone acceptable result is victory. Is a marque of shot enough? We tin ne'er beryllium contented with what we are doing," helium added.
"Was it a measurement forward? This was the much implicit crippled that we played. We had much occupation successful the archetypal fractional due to the fact that Japan were coming successful strongly. In the 2nd fractional we overcame it.
"I judge this is an improvement for sure. We struggled to find abstraction astatine archetypal but we are capable to lick this occupation precise well."
Martinelli scores precocious victor to nonstop Brazil through
Ultimately, for each that Ancelotti's changes made a difference, it was a Japan mistake and the composure of Bruno Guimaraes and Gabriel Martinelli that clinched triumph for Brazil.
A 95th-minute victor to support their dreams of a sixth World Cup triumph alive.
"We said earlier the World Cup, determination is this facet that shot has its moments," Ancelotti said.
"There is nary 'not making mistakes' due to the fact that cipher is perfect, but you person to flooded them and propulsion forward. That's what the squad did."
Brazil were made to work, but overcoming these situations should lone marque them stronger - winning truthful dramatically volition surely springiness them momentum.
Perhaps the overriding emotion astatine full-time, though, was relief.
"Saving the nation" was the verdict of erstwhile Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva, portion Vickery spoke of them "climbing Everest the hard way".
Ancelotti, though, was ne'er concerned. He knows however to triumph and this was conscionable 1 of galore hurdles his broadside volition person to overcome.
"They are connected to thing nether Ancelotti," Sutton added.
"Crafty Carlo does it again. That is what helium does."
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