No mugs, Japan. Granted, they are never likely to threaten the final throes of a World Cup but they are always likely to pose questions of the opposition.
Next summer will be the nation’s sixth consecutive appearance at a World Cup. In qualifying, they scored 27 and did not concede a single goal in their initial eight group matches, and then beat Australia comfortably to seal qualification in August.
In Vahid Halilhodzic, they have a coach who managed Paris Saint-Germain and Lille, and he also oversaw Algeria’s World Cup run to the final 16 in 2014.
Neymar celebrates after opening the scoring for Brazil against Japan in Lille on Friday afternoon
Referee Benoit Bastien consults the VAR system before deciding to award the opening penalty of the encounter
Marcelo doubled his side’s advantage during a blistering opening 17 minutes for Brazil in the friendly fixture
Gabriel Jesus then bagged a third as the Manchester City man put Brazil on course to run away with the match
Tomoaki Makino celebrates with a roar after popping up at a corner kick to head the ball home against Brazil
This Brazil performance, therefore, should worry their rivals. In patches, they were magnificent, shutting down this game before Japan had paused for breath. In a stirring first 45 minutes, Brazil tore through their Asian opposition with speed and precision.
By half-time, Brazil were three goals ahead but it was three going on six. The front three of Chelsea’s Willian, Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus and Paris Saint-Germain’s world-record signing Neymar teased Japan’s backline with a glorious blend of pace, power and finesse.
Their 58-year-old coach Tite — appointed to replace Dunga six games into Brazil’s 18-match qualification campaign — has radically altered his team’s mentality.
He has gradually erased the scars of that haunting 7-1 defeat by Germany at the 2014 World Cup and the team who started here featured only two survivors from the line-up: Fernandinho and Marcelo, who both excelled as experienced heads leading a new cohort of talent here.
Brazil won 10 and drew two of their 12 qualifiers under Tite. They ended their qualification phase 10 points clear of nearest rivals Uruguay and scored more than twice as many goals as Argentina.
In many ways, Brazil’s strength here could be found in what they held back. Having sealed their three goals inside 36 minutes, Brazil took their foot off the pedal, conserving their energy with assured possession and breaking up the game with the usual flow of friendly game substitutions.
The video assistant referee was used after Fernandinho was felled in the box by Southampton’s Maya Yoshida
Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar opens the scoring from the penalty spot during the game in Lille against Japan
Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima dives to try and stop Neymar’s penalty but the ball flies in the other direction
This victory was also achieved without the services of Liverpool’s Philippe Coutinho, who is injured, and Roberto Firmino, who did not come off the bench. Brazil’s strength in depth is signposted by the fact Chelsea’s David Luiz did not even make the squad.
For £198million forward Neymar, this was another sparkling demonstration of his qualities. He was at the centre of all that was positive about Brazil’s play, bamboozling opponents with his dancing feet and scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot.
It was not perfect. He was frustrated by missing Brazil’s second penalty and also received a yellow card for a niggly coming-together with Marseille’s Hiroki Sakai.
Willian dribbles with the ball and is closed down by Yuya Osako (left) and Yuto Nagatomo (right) during the first half
Neymar is chased by Hiroki Sakai, who attempts to put in a tackle on the world’s most expensive footballer
Brazil manager Tite watches on from the bench as his side take a comfortable lead in Lille
Marcelo celebrates with the Brazil bench after scoring their second goal of the game at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium
A Japanese supporter wears a mask as he has an opportunity to watch his side take on Brazil
World Cup opponents will note that the main man has a fuse that may be ignited as the pressure grows in 2018, a year in which he is under pressure to lead his club to Champions League glory and nation to the World Cup.
This week, he has attracted the headlines following suggestions he exaggerated an injury last weekend to save himself for this fixture and Brazil’s visit to England on Tuesday night. It may be a source of anxiety for PSG but Brazil are happy to have their main man utterly dedicated to the cause. A penny for Gareth Southgate’s thoughts, with his squad dropping like flies recently.
For now, however, Southgate’s immediate preoccupation this weekend should be how on earth to stop a Brazil side who positively purr when the mood takes them.
He may find one flaw in their approach to defending set-pieces, and when the Japanese did rally in the second half, they secured a consolation goal when Tomoaki Makino rose in between Jemerson and Alex Sandro to head home from a corner.
Japan’s Takuma Asano attemps to play a pass to a team-mate but is well marshaled by Brazil defender Thiago Silva
City striker Jesus runs off to celebrate and is joined by his club team-mate Fernandinho after scoring Brazil’s third
Japanese goalkeeper Kawashima dives but Jesus manages to continue his good form in front of goal
Japanese ultras bring a banner to the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium in Lille as they look to support their country
Tite’s side took the lead inside nine minutes and they had the video assistant referee to thank for an important intervention.
A seemingly innocuous sequence of play at a corner appeared to have fizzled out as the players lined up for the resultant goal kick. With few outwards signs of protest, referee Benoit Bastien surprised everybody by scuttling over to the video screen. He returned to the pitch and pointed for a penalty. Replays showed that Southampton defender Maya Yoshida had pulled the shirt of Manchester City’s Fernandinho. Neymar converted.
Brazil ratcheted up the tempo and Japan fell to pieces. Jesus was bundled over for a second penalty, but goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima comfortably saved from Neymar.
Yet from the subsequent corner, Brazil doubled their leader as the loose ball dropped to Real Madrid’s Marcelo 25 yards from goal. He caught the ball sweetly, hard and true with his weaker right foot, and it thundered into the roof of the net.
Neymar then appeared set to add his second, only for him to misjudge his angles with an attempted lob when through on goal.
Silva is closed down by Genki Haraguchi of Japan as the Asian side look to mount a comeback in the second half
Neymar is clattered by Japanese starlet Yosuke Ideguchi during a high-tempo encounter at the Pierre-Mauroy Stadium
Jesus put the final touch to a sublime Brazil counter-attack for the third. Casemiro won possession in his own half and Brazil sped forward. Midfielder Giuliano sprinted clear and a swift movement of passes laid the ball into Willian on the right flank.
He tapped it over his shoulder for the on-rushing full back Danilo, whose low and driven cross was converted by Jesus.
This victory, we should remember was also achieved without the services of Philippe Coutinho, who is injured, and Roberto Firmino, who did not come off the bench. Brazil’s strength in depth is signposted by the fact Chelsea’s David Luiz did not even make the squad.
For the £198m forward Neymar, this was another sparkling demonstration of his qualities. He was at the centre of all that was positive about Brazil’s play, bamboozling opponents with his dancing feet and scoring the opening goal from the penalty spot. It was not perfect; he was frustrated by missing Brazil’s second penalty and he also received a yellow card for a niggly coming-together with Marseille’s Hiroki Sakai.
Makino heads home from a corner kick to give Japan a glimmer of hope during the friendly match in Lille
But Brazil managed to see out the match despite substituting off Neymar for Taison in the closing stages