BRAZIL PUNISH JAPAN
Lille (France), Nov. 10: Neymar scored a penalty and missed another as Brazil signalled their intent ahead of next year’s World Cup by outclassing Japan 3-1 in Friday’s international friendly in Lille.
The Paris SaintGermain star rolled in a 10th-minute spot-kick following consultation with the video assistant referee, although Neymar saw a second penalty saved shortly after by Eiji Kawashima.
Marcelo rifled in a magnificent second as Brazil doubled their lead on 17 minutes, with Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus rounding off a clinical counter-attack before halftime to make it 3-0.
Tomoaki Makino nodded in a consolation from a corner on 62 minutes but Japan remain winless against Brazil after losing for the 10th time in 12 meetings.
Neymar was joined by PSG team-mate Thiago Silva in the Brazil line-up as coach Tite picked a strong side despite playing in front of a sparselyfilled Stade PierreMauroy in northern France.
Japan boss Vahid Halilhodzic, who served a four-year spell as Lille coach over a decade ago, called up 12 Europe-based players for the doubleheader with Brazil and Belgium, but experienced attacking trio Shinji Kagawa, Shinji Okazaki and Keisuke Honda were all overlooked for selection. NEYMAR CONSTANT THREAT TO JAPAN Japan were thrashed 4-0 by a Neymar-inspired Brazil in their last encounter in 2014 and again quickly found themselves under threat from the world’s most expensive player.
He slipped Giuliano through down the righthand side after carving open space, with captain Yuto Nagatomo forced to produce a vital sliding block.
Brazil were soon in front as referee Benoit Bastien belatedly awarded a penalty after the video official spotted Maya Yoshida tugging the jersey of Fernandinho at a corner.
Neymar calmly converted for his 53rd international goal — eight of which have come against Japan — and the 25-yearold should have added to his tally five minutes later after Gabriel Jesus was barged over by Hotaru Yamaguchi.
But this time Kawashima dived low to his right to deny Neymar, although Brazil surged further ahead from the resulting corner through a thunderbolt from Marcelo. Ideguchi’s poor clearance trickled invitingly into the path of the Madrid’s left-back who hammered a right-footed strike into the top corner.
Japan trimmed the deficit when centre-back Makino headed in from a corner before a raft of substitutes in the final quarter disrupted the flow of the contest. — AFP