HOUSTON — Gabriel Martinelli earned the spotlight after netting a last-second goal to send Brazil past Japan on Monday, but it was midfielder Bruno Guimaraes who made it all happen, cementing his status as the team’s top playmaker at this World Cup.
The assist was Guimaraes’ fourth of the tournament, placing him at the very top of the goal-creation charts. Since the year 2000, only three other players have reached that mark at a World Cup — Michael Ballack for Germany in 2002, Francesco Totti for Italy in 2006, and Juan Cuadrado for Colombia in 2014. Nobody has surpassed it.
The Newcastle United star has drawn significant transfer speculation in recent months, with media outlets linking him to Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Arsenal. His performances in this tournament are only adding fuel to that fire, the kind of showing that can command a massive transfer fee.
While Vinicius Junior, Matheus Cunha, and now Martinelli have grabbed attention for their scoring, Guimaraes has been the engine room behind Brazil’s attack, doing the hard work that doesn’t always make the highlight reel.
Coach Carlo Ancelotti had high praise for his midfielder after the match. “Bruno is a very important player, very consistent in the game, always making a very good contribution defensively and offensively. He provided a fantastic assist, and I’m very happy because Bruno has a very big heart,” Ancelotti said.
Brazil had found it difficult to break down a well-organized Japanese defense throughout the match. Their opening goal, scored by Casemiro, came from a header at the back post.
Then, in the 95th minute, Japan’s Ao Tanaka gave the ball away on the edge of the penalty area. Guimaraes collected it and immediately spotted Martinelli making a run, threading a perfect pass that Martinelli converted — the latest goal ever scored in a 90-minute World Cup knockout game.
Guimaraes deflected praise toward his teammate when speaking after the match. “They were very compact, it was very difficult to get through. The coach asked us to put pressure on the edge of the area,” he said. “It’s the team spirit, the group spirit. Martinelli is sensational, I’m very happy.”
Brazil will return to action on Sunday in New Jersey, taking on whichever team advances from Tuesday’s round-of-32 clash between Ivory Coast and Norway.
