How did Brazil beat Japan?
First: Brazil respected Japan and did not approach the match as a five-time world champion facing a team with no World Cup titles.
Second: In Neymar’s absence, Brazil played more as a collective unit, relying on the entire team rather than focusing on a single star, despite having Vinícius Júnior.
Third, and most importantly: Carlo Ancelotti successfully analyzed Japan’s style of play and chose to exploit one of their few weaknesses—diagonal crosses. The number of chances Brazil created from this approach before the goal clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of that strategy.
Fourth: Ancelotti did not rush to bring Neymar on, perhaps following advice from his assistant and son. Introducing him too early might have shifted Brazil’s attack toward central combinations and one-two plays, which would have been much harder to execute against Japan’s disciplined defensive structure. Casemiro’s early equalizer also gave Ancelotti the confidence to stick with his original game plan.
Japan is a well-organized team and will certainly have a strong voice in future tournaments. However, Brazil were pragmatic and efficient, and perhaps, as has happened before, they may go on to win their sixth World Cup when they are not considered the favorites—this time under the leadership of a foreign coach.