India, June 29 -- Brazil enter the Round of 32 with the kind of record that usually kills doubt before it grows. They topped Group C, recovered from a testing 1-1 draw against Morocco, then beat Haiti and Scotland 3-0. Vinicius Junior has looked electric, Matheus Cunha has found goals, Neymar is back in the picture, and Carlo Ancelotti's side appear to have built tournament momentum at the right time.

But knockout football does not judge teams only by scorelines. It judges weak phases, bad match-ups and the spaces a disciplined opponent can repeatedly attack. That is why the Japan match is not a soft landing for Brazil. It is a tactical examination.

Japan do not carry Brazil's mythology, but they carry enough structure, speed and memory...