Don Carlo feeds Brazil's hexa hunger despite Japan scare

Brazil's hunger for a sixth World Cup was fed but is still far from sated as Carlo Ancelotti's side survived a scare against Japan in Houston

Brazil beat Japan in the World Cup round of 32 thanks to a late Gabril Martinelli winner. Pic: AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

World Cup Last 32: Brazil 2 Japan 1 

Houston, we have a proverb.

Hara hachi bun me, goes an ancient Confucian-inspired adage. The literal translation is ‘belly 80 percent full’ but the through line of advice is don’t stuff yourselves, lads. The message of moderation has been studied for its positive impacts on Japanese life expectancy.

We know that Brazilians are hungry. Ravenous, actually. The yearning for their “hexa”, a sixth World Cup triumph, rumbles up out of their bellies and in a chasm of a bowl like the Houston Stadium reverberates around the place.

At half-time here on Monday lunchtime, the pangs of want and pain were acute. Japan were deservedly 1-0 to the good. They’d made a borderline mortification of Casemiro in the heart of Brazil’s midfield, buzzing around him and by him and back through him halfway on their way to somewhere special. The Manchester United veteran was removed at half-time of Brazil’s opener here a few weeks back when Morocco had done something similar. Surely the hook beckoned.

Carlo Ancelotti, the wise man stalking the sidelines, opted for moderation. There would be a change but it was Endrick for the hobbled Lucas Paquetá. But no need to do the dog on it. Back out came Casemiro, on a booking to boot, and Japan’s athletic XI surely scented blood as Brazil flipped to a 4-2-4.

Just 11 minutes was all it took for Ancelotti’s belly to be filled with the satisfaction of having got it all right, Casemiro rising to meet a just gorgeous back post in-swinger from Gabriel, of all people. Casemiro’s legs might not move like a World Cup 2026 midfielder but that big old head still has life in it. A bullet finally broke Zion Suzuki’s resistance.

Japan’s keeper found another brilliant stop to deny Vini Jr. mere minutes later when the Real Madrid man flitted like a lemon-drop firefly into space and fired a shot that was deflected on to the post. 

In injury-time, the second knockout game ticking dangerously close to extra time just as the first had in LA on Sunday, Suzuki nearly repeated the trick. But not nearly enough. Having needed another goal, Ancelotti turned to Gabriel Martinelli, who’d scored just four in 25 caps. But after being smartly slid in by Bruno Guimaraes, the Arsenal man saw his shot nestle in off the same post and Brazilians in the stand erupted. Bellies not yet filled but the smell, the waft of something cooking in the kitchen driving them wild.

Don Carlo. Keeper of the flame. Feeder of the dream.

In keeping with a Last 32 where just three of the 16 ties involve rivals from the same confederation, this was a trans-Pacific, Atlantic and a fair few other bodies of water. But those seas were sailed by upwards of two million Japanese immigrants from the turn of the 20th century. São Paulo is home to the biggest Japanese population outside of Japan itself.

The countries share much. If you’re ever getting particularly down about the state of a shrinking media landscape, we recommend attending a World Cup game involving Brazil. The Globo group alone has sent 112 reporters here. You’ll hear them before you see them. Exit from a media elevator on the eighth floor of the towering home of Houston’s Texans and the ears are immediately assaulted with Brazilians roaring like asses into phones, apparently doing full commentary two hours before kickoff.

Japan’s press pack ain’t small either. So here they convened at the one stadium which is bucking the trend of this tournament and not rinsing the media men and women for a bit of sustenance. In New Jersey’s wretched MetLife Stadium the ‘Media Cafe’ (two oul wans at a desk watching three pokey fridges of assorted gruel like hawks) offers one hot entree for an eye-watering $31. For an added bonus you heat it yourself in one of two microwaves. This is the venue for the World Cup Final, folks.

But no, Houston offers a free buffet, compliments of the Houston Tourist Board, bless their socks. The getting was good as trays of sausage and chicken and a couple of options for the occasion — feijoada and Asian braised pork — were attacked early and often. If hunger is a great sauce then tight-arsedness helps the scran taste it all the better. Every one of the nine dessert options looked like they’ll keep US diabetes drug-makers in fine fettle for a while yet.

The CBF gave up on their tight-arsed tendencies last year when they made Ancelotti the first foreigner to coach Brazil. His princely sum is reported to be €10m per year, with a €5m bonus if he wins this World Cup, if he ends the hunger. He should probably get a couple million more if he does it with Casemiro.

The late, late decider here felt harsh on Japan but they’d faded badly after the break. Brazil had found momentum when they needed it most, the first spark coming from the most unlikely source. Ancelotti heads on to the Last 16. Fewer than ever may question his wisdom.

Brazil (4-3-3): Alisson; Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Guimarães, Paquetá; Rayan, Cunha, Viní Jr.

Subs: Endrick for Paquetá (HT); Martinelli for Cunha (65); Fabinho for Casemiro (90), Olivera for Guimarães (90.

Goals: Casemiro (56), Martinelli (90+2).

Japan (3-4-2-1): Z Suzuki; Tomiyasu, Taniguchi, Itō; Dōan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Maeda, Itō; Ueda.

Subs: Sugawara for Doan (65); J Suzuki for Nakamura (65); Tanaka for Kamada (78); Machino for Ito (78), Ogawa for Maeda (90).

Goals: Sano (29) 

Referee: Maurizio Mariani (ITA) 

Attendance: 68,777