THE LOWDOWN — THE FULL HISTORY
THE TIE
Round of 32: Brazil v Japan, Monday 29 June, Houston.
BRAZIL
The five-time champions won their group, beating Scotland 3-0. Vinícius Júnior had four goals, with Matheus Cunha alongside him.
JAPAN
The Samurai Blue were unbeaten: organised and dangerous on the counter, with Daichi Kamada running the play and Ayase Ueda leading the line, each on two goals.
THE CALL
Brazil have the quality and should edge it, but Japan were expected to make them work and to score.
NOTE
A World Cup Universe preview: the 2026 run is WCU narrative, not real results, built on real photos.
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THE TERRACES — DISCUSSION
The argument also lives in the YouTube comments ↗.