Houston, June 29 (IANS) Coach Carlo Ancelotti stated that Brazil must play with “mind, heart, and a clear idea” in their World Cup Round of 32 clash against Japan. Reflecting on his success in European knockout tournaments, he noted how unpredictable these matches can be.

Brazil had a difficult start against Morocco, drawing 1-1. Since then, they have shown collective improvement, defeating Haiti 3-0 and repeating the scoreline against Scotland. The seven points and six goals in goal difference secured first place in their group for the 12th consecutive edition since the 1982 World Cup.

Japan, meanwhile, also qualified for the knockout stage undefeated. They started with a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands, thrashed Tunisia 4-0, and drew 1-1 with Sweden.

As teams enter Round of 32 match in Houston following unbeaten group-stage campaigns and Ancelotti expects a tightly contested encounter. “We need many things: our minds and our hearts,” he said in a press conference.

“We have to be prepared for everything that can happen in a knockout game, because many things can happen. Extra time, penalties. We’ve prepared for every scenario. I think the team is ready. It’s motivated and confident. We played well in our last two matches, so we’re prepared for whatever tomorrow brings.”

Brazil has not been eliminated in the first World Cup knockout round since 1990, when it lost 1-0 to Diego Maradona’s Argentina in Turin. Since then, the Selecao has never failed to reach the quarterfinals or beyond in football’s showpiece event.

Ancelotti said his players are aware there will be no second chances for the rest of the tournament. “It’s not a knockout with two legs. It’s just one match,” he said.

“There’s no way back. Brazil has intelligent players in that regard. We’re a strong team that knows how to prepare for these kinds of games. I’m confident.”

The only player absent from Brazil’s training session on Sunday was Raphinha, who is recovering from a right hamstring injury.

Ancelotti said Neymar was gradually regaining fitness after a 20-minute cameo in Brazil’s last group-stage match against Scotland. It marked the 34-year-old’s first appearance for the national team since October 2023 following a series of injuries.

“Neymar is progressing very well,” Ancelotti said of the forward’s recovery from a calf strain. “I think he improved a lot over the past week. It’s a pity he couldn’t train with us throughout the entire period he has been here. But obviously he can play more than 15 minutes now. He’s doing very well. How much he plays will depend on the context of the match and how the game develops.”

Brazil and Japan last met in a friendly last October, when the Asian side recovered from two goals down to win 3-2 in Tokyo.