Brazil were beaten 4-2 by Japan in a friendly on Tuesday with the Selecao losing their 2-0 lead after the break, and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro was left furious.
Brazil and Manchester United midfielder Casemiro was left seething after the Selecao surrendered a 2-0 advantage to lose against Japan on Tuesday. Everything appeared to be going smoothly when goals from Paulo Henrique and Gabriel Martinelli put Carlo Ancelotti’s team firmly in control at half-time, but the situation had dramatically changed by the final whistle.
Ex-Liverpool striker Takumi Minamino reduced the deficit early in the second period, and not even a triple change from Ancelotti could stem the tide. Keito Nakamura levelled the scores just after the hour mark before Ayase Ueda completed the stunning comeback.
“A second-half blackout by the entire team,” Casemiro told Sportv (via ESPN). “If you sleep for 45 minutes, it could cost you a World Cup, a Copa América, a medal, a four-year dream.
“The whole team wasn’t at its best in the second half, and it’s the details. At this high level, it’s the details that make all the difference. We know there was an extra boost of enthusiasm [following the win against South Korea].
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“We wanted to end this 12-day preparation on a high note. And perhaps we threw away our excellent preparation in 45 minutes. So, let this be a lesson learned, the World Cup is here. We need to play at a high level, no matter if it’s against Japan or whoever as 45 minutes can cost you a childhood dream.”
Casemiro has also experienced plenty of difficult games during his time at Old Trafford, both under Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim. He played the full 120 minutes at Wembley in 2024 when Ten Hag’s United threw away a three-goal lead against Coventry City in their FA Cup semi-final, though on that occasion, penalties came to their rescue.
Brazil themselves are acutely aware of just how costly a momentary lapse in concentration can prove. They were impressive at the last World Cup, demolishing South Korea in the round of 16, but a late slip in the quarter-final against Croatia enabled their opponents to level the scores before knocking Brazil out on penalties.
Ancelotti assumed the managerial role midway through the qualification campaign for the 2026 tournament, with the South Americans never genuinely threatened with elimination. However, they were hardly convincing on their path to qualification, and the Italian manager highlighted aspects requiring improvement ahead of next summer.
“What we have to evaluate is the team’s reaction after the first mistake, which wasn’t good because we lost some of our balance on the field and our positive thinking,” Ancelotti said. “We have to learn from our mistakes in the second half. The team’s biggest mistake was not reacting well after the first goal. It’s a good lesson for the future. We have to learn from this defeat.
“I think until Fabricio’s mistake [for the first goal] we controlled the game well. The team then lost its mentality after the first mistake. That was the team’s biggest mistake.”
Ancelotti suggested Brazil must guarantee they possess “balance” if they are to compete effectively at next summer’s World Cup in North America. The draw for the group stage will be held in the United States in early December.
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