Night of collapse and chaos: Vinicius shines and Ancelotti falls into Japan's trap

Brazil suffered a resounding shock after falling 3-2 to Japan in the friendly encounter that brought the two sides together today, Saturday, at the National Stadium in Singapore, as part of the Seleção's Asian tour during the current November international break. It was a match that held the fans' breath until its final moments, witnessing thrilling swings and a heated disciplinary incident whose protagonists were the Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti and Barcelona star Raphinha.

This was no passing friendly stumble for Brazil. For Japan, it carried the taste of revenge, a chance to put one over the Seleção after losing 1-2 to them in the round of 32 at the 2026 World Cup.

The result also landed as a fresh blow for Ancelotti. It was his fifth defeat in 21 matches in charge of Brazil, a figure that raises real questions about the consistency of performances under his leadership.

Japan stunned their guests from the off. They wasted no time imposing themselves, and Takefusa Kubo opened the scoring in the 15th minute. He pounced on a well-placed pass from Ritsu Doan, drove into the penalty area and lashed a left-footed shot past goalkeeper Morisco to put the Samurai ahead.

Brazil had no time to regain their balance. Four minutes later, in the 19th, the hosts doubled their lead. Shuto Nakano whipped a low cross into the box and Kaito Nakamura met it with a calm, precise finish into the right corner of Morisco's goal. The Seleção were rattled, their ranks in disarray.

Two goals down, Brazil needed a moment of individual brilliance to drag them back. Vinícius Júnior delivered it in the 33rd minute. He collected a pass from Bruno Guimarães in front of the box and unleashed a rocket that the Japanese goalkeeper could do nothing about, the ball crashing into the net as the Real Madrid star halved the deficit.

That goal did more than bring Brazil back into the contest. It carried a special weight for Vinícius, a man desperate to rediscover his confidence in front of goal amid mounting pressure over his falling scoring numbers at Real Madrid. The powerful strike handed him a morale boost and underlined his ability to make the difference when given space and the right opening.

Japan were trying to protect their lead when Vinícius stole the show once more. In the 75th minute he took another pass from Bruno Guimarães and fired a fierce effort that struck the left post before nestling in the net for 2-2. The Real Madrid star had hauled the Seleção level after they trailed by two, and his fans sensed a full comeback was on.

The brace meant plenty to Vinícius personally. It ended a scoring drought stretching back to last September in a Brazil shirt, while his last goals for Real Madrid came all the way back in August. His return to the scoresheet arrived at a crucial time, a reassuring message to the supporters of the Spanish giants and proof that his scoring instinct had not lost its edge despite a difficult spell.

Brazil thought they had rescued themselves. Then Japan landed the knockout blow in stoppage time. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto fired home the winner in the 90+1 minute, sparking wild Japanese celebrations and a thrilling 3-2 victory.

Tempers flared on the touchline too. Ancelotti was sent off in an incident that cranked up the heat in the closing minutes, coinciding with the sending-off of Raphinha, who will not be able to take part with Brazil in their upcoming match against Singapore.

The fury ran on past the final whistle. Brazil's players and members of the technical staff surrounded the referee to protest at some of his decisions, forcing security personnel to step in and protect the officials.

The clash with Japan was the first stop on Brazil's Asian tour, a trip Ancelotti is using to test players and gauge their readiness before locking in his choices for the fixtures ahead.

Brazil wrap up the camp against Singapore next Tuesday at the same stadium. It offers the Italian coach a chance to put right the mistakes that surfaced against Japan and restore some balance after a night that ended in painful defeat, despite the brilliance of Vinícius and his brace.