You cannot talk about Brazil v Japan without mentioning Zico. The Brazilian great, widely regarded as a pioneer of football in the Asian nation, could be forgiven for feeling torn by a game like this. Nevertheless, he insists that when the two sides kick-off at the on Monday, O Galinho will be just another Brazil fan.
“I’ll be supporting Brazil. After all, I am Brazilian,” Zico told FIFA. “But if Japan win, so be it. What I do know is that it will be a great match, because Japan play proper football.”
The match will be just the second time Brazil and Japan have faced each other on the World Cup stage. Their only previous meeting came 20 years ago, on the final matchday of the 2006 group stage. Brazil ran out 4-1 winners and the man in charge of Japan was Zico himself.
“Of course, it was emotional,” he recalled. “I said to the players before the match that I was going to sing the Brazilian anthem before the game, just as I’d been taught at school, but as soon as the first ball was kicked, I was with Japan all the way. I remember thinking about Didi, who won two World Cups with Brazil and coached Peru against the Seleção in 1970. But it was tough.”
2006 marked only Japan’s third appearance at a World Cup, but since reaching the tournament for the first time in 1998, they have never failed to qualify. That is a statistic that neatly illustrates the development of a footballing nation growing stronger and who are increasingly ready to take on the footballing elite.
“Japan are at a more competitive level now. Their players have been heading to Europe, just like Brazilian and South American players did. Of their 26 players at the World Cup, 23 play in Europe and they’re getting to play in the Bundesliga, in Serie A, in the Premier League,” Zico noted.
“Of the three who play at home, two are goalkeepers and the other is Yuto Nagatomo. He’s there more as a leader and experienced figure within the squad. It’s his fifth World Cup.”
At each of the last two tournaments Japan reached the knockout stage but fell short of the quarter-finals. In 2018, they led their Round of 16 clash 2-0, only to be cruelly beaten 3-2 after a stunning Belgian comeback. Four years later, they opened the scoring against Croatia, but conceded an equaliser and eventually went out on penalties.
On both occasions, their elimination denied Japan a meeting with Brazil in the next round, that 2006 meeting with Zico in charge being their only World Cup clash to date.
“That could only have happened to me, couldn’t it?” the Brazilian legend joked. “But those campaigns show how far Japan have come. That’s the World Cup for you. Japan are prepared to face anyone. Over the past few years, they have beaten Brazil, Germany, Spain and England. They really are ready for whatever comes their way.”
For Zico, Japanese football’s recent growth is not just about their technical ability. Their composure in the toughest games has also been crucial and is something he saw first-hand during his time as the Asian team’s coach.
“Of course the team has improved tactically, but the bigger issue for Japan was always psychological. They now know how to deal with adversity and can respond when they fall behind,” he said.
“In 2006, for instance, we had to win by two goals to go through. We went 1-0 up and then let one in just before the break. The team today has more experience and they would keep hold of the ball and see out the first half. Back then they didn’t.
"Had we started the second half ahead, things might have been different, but Ronaldo scored a header right at the death. And he has the nerve to say I’m his idol? The only header he ever scored was against me,” he laughed.
The Japan post that was once Zico’s is now occupied by a former player who faced him in his J.League days. Hajime Moriyasu took charge of his homeland in July 2018 and led the team to historic group-stage wins over Spain and Germany at Qatar 2022. Despite a Round of 16 exit, he became the first Japan coach to have his contract renewed after a World Cup.
“I played against him in Japan - and his brother (Hiroshi Moriyasu). He had great technique and real quality. He’s another midfielder who became a great coach,” the Brazilian added.
The game has another personal connection for Zico, too, as both Moriyasu and Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti are former opponents from his playing days.
“I remember them both very well. They were defensive midfielders. Thankfully, neither of them played dirty. They could both really play, and had great technique. It’s why they read the game differently today.”
Sources: FIFA Official
