Japan's humbling defeat to Brazil in the opening game of the Confederations Cup last weekend was a bitter pill to swallow, but that does not mean Alberto Zaccheroni's side cannot get its campaign back on track against Italy on Wednesday.
Brazil brushed the Asian champions aside 3-0 in Brasilia on Saturday in a match largely as one-sided as the score suggests, prompting an intense bout of soul-searching from a team beaten 4-0 by the same opponent in a friendly in October last year.
"This is beyond disappointing," said left back Yuto Nagatomo. "Nothing has changed. The gap is only widening, if anything. At least last time I thought we actually tried to challenge them."