A controversial Neymar penalty kick was all that separated Japan and Brazil on Monday night, with the South American visitors coming away with a narrow 1-0 victory at a sold-out National Stadium in Tokyo.
The Kirin Challenge Cup friendly against the reigning world No. 1 team was touted as a major test for the Samurai Blue ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, and Hajime Moriyasu’s men rose to the challenge despite pregame expectations of a blowout — especially following Brazil’s 5-1 demolition of South Korea on Thursday in Seoul.
The 0-0 scoreline, played out on a pitch slick with a downpour that marked the official start of the region's rainy season, lasted until the 77th minute, when Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar stutter-stepped his way to the penalty spot before chipping the ball past Japan keeper Shuichi Gonda.