HOUSTON — Brazil’s head coach Carlo Ancelotti has decided to keep his starting lineup intact heading into Monday’s World Cup round-of-32 showdown against Japan. The squad remains the same unit that delivered a convincing 3-0 victory over Scotland in Brazil’s final Group C contest.
Japan’s coaching staff, on the other hand, has made significant adjustments. Head coach Hajime Moriyasu is sending out a noticeably different squad compared to the team that settled for a 1-1 draw with Sweden in their last Group F outing — making four changes in total.
Among the notable storylines on the Brazilian side, 19-year-old forward Rayan earns his second start for the national team, slotting in for injured winger Raphinha. He will line up alongside Matheus Cunha and Vinicius Jr. Superstar Neymar remains on the bench as he continues working his way back from a calf injury.
For Japan, defenders Yukinari Sugawara, Ko Itakura, Ayumu Seko, and Ao Tanaka have been left out of the starting lineup. Taking their places are Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Junya Ito, and Kaishu Sano, as the team shifts to a five-man defensive setup. Takefusa Kubo is also held back on the bench while managing an ankle injury.
Starting Lineups:
Brazil: Alisson; Danilo, Gabriel Magalhaes, Marquinhos, Douglas Santos; Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Lucas Paqueta; Matheus Cunha, Rayan, Vinicius Jr.
Japan: Zion Suzuki; Hiroki Ito, Shogo Taniguchi, Takehiro Tomiyasu; Ritsu Doan, Daizen Maeda, Keito Nakamura, Junya Ito, Daichi Kamada, Kaishu Sano; Ayase Ueda.
