Houston, June 30 -- Brazil survived a major scare before Gabriel Martinelli's dramatic stoppage-time winner sealed a thrilling 2-1 victory over Japan, sending the five-time champions into the Round of 16 of the FIFA World Cup here on Tuesday (IST).
Japan produced a disciplined and courageous display for much of the contest and looked set to force extra time after frustrating Brazil with organised defending and dangerous counter-attacks. However, Martinelli's moment of brilliance in the 95th minute finally broke Japanese resistance and kept Brazil's title ambitions firmly on track.
The Asian giants stunned Brazil in the 29th minute when Kaishu Sano put Japan ahead with a well-taken finish, capping off a swift attacking move that caught the...