Overview
- Brazil beat Japan 2-1 in Houston on Monday to reach the World Cup Round of 16.
- Kaishu Sano opened the scoring for Japan just before half‑time with a long‑range strike that left Brazil on the back foot.
- ITV pundits Roy Keane and Lee Dixon sharply criticised Casemiro’s first‑half midfield display at half‑time.
- Coach Carlo Ancelotti kept Casemiro on and the midfielder answered by heading in a Gabriel Magalhães cross in the 56th minute and later received FIFA’s Man of the Match award.
- Gabriel Martinelli scored a stoppage‑time winner to secure the win, leaving Brazil to face either Norway or the Ivory Coast in the last 16 and prompting further attention on Casemiro’s reported summer move to Inter Miami.