Brazil’s quest to win a record sixth World Cup heads into the knockout stages on Monday as Carlo Ancelotti’s team face Japan in the last 32, before four-time champions Germany play Paraguay and Morocco take on the Netherlands in perhaps the tie of the round.
The Brazilians are desperate to win the World Cup again, 24 years after they last lifted the trophy, and they eased through the group stage in first place above Morocco, with Vinicius Junior playing a starring role by scoring four goals.
The South Americans may be the favourites to progress to the last 16, but Japan are dangerous opponents and unlikely to make life easy in the first game of the day in Houston.
“We need to play with our heads and hearts, and be clear about what we want to do. We need to be ready for everything that can happen in a knockout tie,” said Ancelotti, who insisted his players were “confident” but prepared for the prospect of extra time and penalties.
Brazil are well aware of the threat posed by Japan, having lost 3-2 when the teams met in a friendly last October.
“I think that really was a learning experience for us,” said the Brazil captain, Marquinhos.
The last non-European nation to knock Brazil out of a World Cup was Argentina, in 1990, but Japan come into this tie with confidence.
“The team is united and that feeling is getting even stronger now,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, whose side finished second in Group F behind the Netherlands — they drew with the Dutch and Sweden, either side of beating Tunisia.
The winners will advance to a last-16 tie on Sunday against Ivory Coast or Norway in New Jersey.
Germany take on Paraguay at the Gillette Stadium near Boston in what will, remarkably, be their first knockout match at a World Cup since they beat Argentina in the 2014 final.
The Germans did enough to top their group as they hammered Curacao and edged out Ivory Coast before an inconsequential defeat by Ecuador.
Currently ranked 10th in the world, Germany are not widely seen as genuine contenders to win the trophy, even if coach Julian Nagelsmann insists that has to be their aim.
“When you talk about the German national team, it is all about trying to win every game. It is all about winning the game tomorrow,” Nagelsmann said on Sunday.
– Canada oust South Africa –
His side are expected to defeat the Paraguayans, who progressed as one of the best third-place finishers after recovering from a heavy opening loss to the United States to beat Turkey and draw with Australia.
They are appearing in the knockout phase for the first time since 2010, but it is a tough ask for Paraguay who have had to rapidly relocate for this game after being based on the West Coast of the US during the group stage.
Whoever emerges victorious will advance to a last-16 clash against either France or Sweden.
The meeting of three-time World Cup runners-up the Netherlands and 2022 semi-finalists Morocco in Monterrey, Mexico, is surely the hardest tie of the round to call.
These are the teams ranked eighth and seventh in the world respectively, with both squads filled with talent based in major European leagues.
The Moroccan side includes the Dutch-born defender Noussair Mazraoui, of Manchester United, and the forward Ismael Saibari who was the best player in the Dutch league last season with champions PSV Eindhoven and is joining Bayern Munich.
The knockout stages began on Sunday as co-hosts Canada struck late to beat South Africa 1-0 in Los Angeles and reach the last 16 for the first time.
Captain Stephen Eustaquio scored the only goal in the second minute of injury time at the SoFi Stadium, settling a tight contest between two nations who had never previously gone beyond the group stage at a World Cup.
“The timing of the goal means that the win is incredibly dramatic, and I think the effect that it will have in Canada and the inspiring of people will be immense,” said Canada coach Jesse Marsch.
His team will play either the Netherlands or Morocco in Houston in the next round.
