Japan defeated Brazil 3-2 in an international friendly at Singapore on Friday, prompting Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti to receive a red card for furious protests over a late match-winning goal.
The Italian manager contested the video assistant referee system’s decision not to penalize a foul that preceded Sakamoto’s decisive strike during stoppage time.
“The result was influenced by the referee, it’s not his fault but he doesn’t have the necessary experience for these matches,” Ancelotti said of the officiating, according to ANSA.
The defeat compounds a difficult period for the South American side following their World Cup exit in the round of 16 against Norway. Since that tournament, Brazil has recorded a victory against India, along with a draw and a win against Australia, prior to the loss in Singapore.
“It is a disappointing balance,” said a critic on Sport.tv, in remarks reported by Globoesporte. “Brazil plays badly most of the matches. It has players of great quality, yet the team is unbalanced, with gaps both in defense and attack; problems that a coach of Ancelotti’s caliber should have solved.”
Despite the scoreline and the late controversy, the Brazil coach expressed satisfaction with the majority of the team’s performance on the pitch. He said that the squad executed its tactical plan for the vast majority of the fixture.
“Beyond the result, I believe that for 70 minutes we played well,” Ancelotti said, as reported by ANSA. “We put on the pitch what we wanted, which is to play with intensity. I am satisfied with our performance, with the exception of the start, which was not the best.”
The match concluded with the Japanese side securing the 3-2 victory in the closing moments, leaving the Brazil technical staff and forward Raphinha—who was also sent off during the protests—to depart the touchline before the final whistle.
