Japan beat Brazil 3-2 again, and this time Ancelotti and Raphinha were sent off for protesting the winner

Thirteen months ago in Tokyo, Brazil let a two-goal lead slip and lost 3-2 to Japan for the first time. On Saturday in Singapore they did the hard part, coming back from 2-0 down, and still lost by the same score. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto scored the winner in the 91st minute, and before the game restarted Carlo Ancelotti and his captain Raphinha had both been sent off.

It was the first meeting since the World Cup in June, when Brazil knocked Japan out in the last 32 in Houston with a Gabriel Martinelli goal deep in stoppage time. Hajime Moriyasu’s side have now won two of their last three games against Brazil, after failing to beat them in their first 13.

Two goals in four minutes

Takefusa Kubo put Japan ahead after 15 minutes at the National Stadium and Keito Nakamura made it 2-0 on 19. Nakamura scored in Tokyo last October too, in the second-half comeback that started all this.

Vinícius Júnior pulled Brazil back on his own. His first, on 33 minutes, came from about 25 metres out. His second, with a quarter of an hour left, was curled in for 2-2, and from there Brazil looked the more likely winners. Endrick, who replaced Raphinha with about 20 minutes to go, hit the crossbar from distance.

The winner, and two red cards

Japan won the ball back in the first minute of stoppage time and crossed for Sakamoto to bundle in his first international goal. Brazil wanted a foul on João Gomes at the start of the move. The referee, Singapore’s Jansen Foo, gave the goal, and the protests that followed cost Brazil their coach and their captain. Raphinha had already come off and was dismissed from the touchline.

Ancelotti said Foo sent him off because he “wasn’t able to control the bench”. He said the referee’s performance had influenced the result, but stopped short of blaming him: in his view it was a high-level match and Foo did not have the experience for it.

Raphinha apologised for his behaviour and then went through his list. He thought there was a handball in the build-up to Japan’s opener, a penalty Brazil should have had in the first half, and a clear foul on João before the winner. “It’s unacceptable,” he told Globo. He also said Brazil had “a lot to improve on”.

Singapore next, without the captain or the coach

Brazil stay in Singapore to play the hosts at the same stadium on Tuesday, 17 November. Under the rules a red card in a friendly is served in the next friendly, so Raphinha will sit it out, and Ancelotti will serve a touchline ban. Rodrigo Caetano, who runs the CBF’s men’s national teams, said Raphinha would stay with the squad rather than head back to Barcelona early, because “he is one of our leaders”. The coaching staff will share Ancelotti’s duties for the night.

Ancelotti’s contract was extended in May to cover the 2030 World Cup, so this is not a crisis for him yet. But Brazil have now lost to Japan from 2-0 up and from level at 2-2, and on Tuesday he will not be on the bench.

More from our international football coverage