How Brazil beat Japan in its knockout round match, according to the data

Brazil nearly doubled its crossing attempts in the second half in an effort to create more scoring opportunities.

Vinicius Junior of Brazil during the 2026 World Cup match between Brazil and Japan at Houston Stadium in Houston, United States, on June 29, 2026. Photo by Stefan Koops/EYE4IMAGES/NurPhoto via AP

Brazil’s World Cup knockout match against Japan ended in a 2-1 victory for the South American team. But the Japanese team held its own against Brazil’s pressure early on, ending the first half with a 1-0 lead.

So what tactical shifts might the Brazilians have deployed in the second half to claim the game?

In part, a lot more crosses, according to data from Northeastern’s NetSI Sport research group. In soccer, a cross is a medium or long-range pass sent from the field’s wings or sidelines to an opponent’s penalty box. Crosses can be useful in quickly creating scoring opportunities.

In the first half of the match, Brazil attempted eight crosses and completed two, a 25% success rate. In the second half, they attempted 15, and completed three, for a 20% success rate.

While the overall success rate may be lower in the second half, it shows that the team attempted to create more chances using the crossing strategy.

And it worked.

Defensive midfielder Carlos Henrique Casimiro tied up the game with a header in the 56th minute following a cross assist from centre-back Gabriel Magalhães.

Brazil typically isn’t known to rely on crosses for scoring. Instead, it prioritizes short passes and clever dribbles around the penalty box. However, the team has a number of key players who have the physicality and aerial ability to excel at receiving crosses and delivering, Casimiro included.

For its second goal delivered during stoppage time, the team employed more of its textbook passing pattern, with left winger Gabriel Martinelli scoring the goal following a quick left-foot pass from midfielder Bruno Guimaraes near the penalty area.

Brazil will next play Norway, which defeated Ivory Coast Tuesday. Brazil’s round of 16 match will be held at 4 p.m. Sunday, July 5, at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Data analysis provided by Brennan Klein, director for Northeastern University’s NetSI Sport research group.