Vahid Halilhodžić, former head coach of the Japan national team, was interviewed by Press Agency and shared his thoughts on the upcoming match between Japan and Brazil.

Halilhodžić: I believe the Japan vs. Brazil match will be a very interesting contest. Many players in Japan's current squad play in European leagues, and both their individual quality and overall tactical system are at a high level—they are completely capable of defeating Brazil.

The key to victory is controlling the pace of the match in a way Brazil is not accustomed to. Japan should exploit Brazil's weakness: the slow movement of their players. The movement speed of Brazil's three midfielders—Casemiro, Paquetá, and Guimarães—is relatively slow. Using agility to disrupt their rhythm is essential to winning; employing quick one-touch or two-touch passes to penetrate behind their defense will create many scoring opportunities.

Brazil's center-backs also lack agility compared to Japan's players. Japan can press using quick touches, immediate reactions, and explosive acceleration to force opponents into mistakes. Brazil has an advantage in aerial duels, so Japan's forwards should focus on ground-based play, playing more low crosses, and maximizing their advantage in agility.

In previous years, Brazil excelled with smooth passing and well-controlled, rhythmic football; but now, they rely more on individual brilliance. Previously, their attacking and defensive transitions were extremely quick, but nowadays, slow ball progression in midfield and excessive possession are common. Vinícius Júnior and Cunha have exceptional individual ability, and if given freedom to play, the match will be very difficult; however, Brazil's midfield movement is slow, and their counterattacks lack speed and impact. Japan should aim to gain an advantage in the midfield battles.

Looking at Brazil's attacking line, Vinícius is truly a world-class star. Although 34-year-old Neymar is no longer at his peak, he can still change the course of the match and must be closely monitored. Certainly, our defenders will face them one-on-one during the match, and in such moments, teammates must provide timely cover to avoid leaving defenders isolated.

I understand that Japan's goal at this FIFA World Cup is to compete for the championship. If they have this ambition, they must not feel inferior when facing powerhouses like Brazil. They must eliminate the negative thinking that "we are not as good as our opponents, their strength is greater." People often believe Brazil has stronger individual talent, but Japan is a team that can resolutely implement a unified tactical approach. As long as they rely on team cohesion to overwhelm their opponent and disrupt Brazil's rhythm, they have every chance of beating them.

In competitive sports, winning is always the top priority—strive to win. In French, it is "Gagner" (to win). This match against Brazil could be said to be the most important battle for Japanese football to make a leap forward to date, and this battle could become a turning point for Japan to join the ranks of the world's top teams. Therefore, I hope Japan will win. Come on, Japan!

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