FULL TIME: Brazil 4-0 Japan (Paulinho, Neymar 2, Kaká) – Possibly the Seleção’s best performance of the Mano Menezes era and certainly the best for some time. Inspired by an awesome showing from Neymar, the Seleção made light work of a Japanese side who stuck to their attacking principles throughout.
90′ – Brazil still looking to counter-attack and Lucas Moura goes within inches of adding a fifth.
90′ – Japan now join in on the act, with Arsenal’s Ryo Miyaichi replacing Hiroshi Kiyotake.
88′ – Mano Menezes is making a mockery of this final ten minutes. Thiago Neves replaces Oscar, what’s the point of making these changes separately. Just make them together.
86′ – The game is very much drifting to its inevitable conclusion as the substitutions continue. Sandro for Ramires now.
84′ – Leandro Damião now coming on as Mano switches things up. Neymar makes way.
82′ – Lucas is on to replace Kaká who goes off to a fine reception.
81′ – Keisuke Honda threatens a consolation for Japan, but drags his shot wide from 20 yards
80′ – Neymar absolutely loves this type of situation and Japan have afforded him a lot of space all game.
77′ – Giuliano is on for Brazil, replacing Hulk on the right for the Seleção.
Twitter – @seeadarkness – “Sport TV commentator makes good point – that presence of Kaká relieves some of the mental pressure on Neymar and younger players.”
75′ GOAL Brazil 4-0 Japan (Kaká) – Lovely stuff from the Real Madrid man, with a second goal in two games. Similarly taken. On the counter, he squares up his defender then bursts past and fires home left-footed.
73′ – Honda tries an ambitious volley for the Japanese, from a lofted cross from Sakai. David Luiz has to do more to block that.
71′ – Back to real-time then and Brazil are on the attack once more. Really dominant display from the Seleção. The best of Mano’s reign? Possibly.
68′ – Neymar broke down the right and lofted the ball over Kawashima for Ramires to turn in at the back-post for a fine fourth goal, which was disallowed for a ridiculous reason – saying the ball had crossed the goal-line.
67′ – Sorry for that absence, seems all the Seleção fans out there managed to crash the server. You haven’t missed much, bar one piece of Neymar brilliance.
56′ – Neymar is inches away from a hat-trick. Adriano picks out Leandro Castan at the back-post who heads down for Neymar who bundles the ball wide.
54′ – Brazil just keeping the ball at the back for a bit. Looking to calm things down once more.
52′ – Japan’s persistance causes problems in the Brazil area. First Kagawa, then Kiyotake, almost bundle themselves through.
50′ – Almost a response from Japan again – they have been close to scoring a few times. Kagawa the inspiration once more, this time dragging his shot just wide from 20 yards. Was firmly struck.
48′ GOAL Brazil 3-0 Japan (Neymar) – The corner swung in from the right finds Neymar at the far-post and he brings the ball down on his chest before shooting home, via an important deflection.
47′ – Neymar is in the mood this afternoon. He has been the stand-out player so far and looks to curl a shot home from 25 yards, but it’s deflected for a corner.
46′ – We are back underway for the second-half in Poland then.
HALF TIME: Brazil 2-0 Japan (Paulinho, Neymar) – Plenty to be happy with for Mano Menezes at the break. His side look very strong in attack, but would Sandro be a useful addition in midfield?
45′ – Japan need to be a bit more incisive. There is little ambition in front of goal.
44′ – Neymar isn’t far from grabbing a second as he heads wide from Ramires’ cross. Went for a difficult backwards header and didn’t make great contact.
42′ – Neymar gets clattered by Yoshida on half-way. No card this time and the Brazilian will be ok once he dusts himself off.
41′ YELLOW CARD – David Luiz booked for pulling back the breaking Keisuke Honda.
40′ – Fine full-back play from Adriano who overlaps on the right and delivers a tempting cross. No-one is there to get a head on the ball.
39′ – Extended passage of Brazil possession, before they look long for Oscar. Kaká rescues the ball and we continue…
37′ – Japan will feel a bit disappointed with the score. They are playing tidily, but Brazil’s speed of attack is sensational.
36′ – Brazil’s movement in attack is sensational. This time it’s Oscar almost getting himself on the end of a Neymar through ball from the left.
34′ POST – Hulk spreads the ball to the left and Neymar has space ahead of him. Having reached the byline he picks out Kaká at the edge of the box who places an almost inch-perfect shot onto the post.
33′ – Some great skill from Honda in midfield there as three Brazilians pressured. Great to see.
32′ – Kagawa looks to have another great chance as the corner is headed back into the danger area by Uchida, but it’s the Premier League player’s turn to be offside.
31′ – Hasebe is denied by Diego Alves this time. A low blast to the keeper’s right. Unlucky for Japan.
29′ – Neymar misses a decent chance to make it three for Brazil. Kaká released him into space in the left channel and he aimed to fire over Kawashima, but unfortunately the Santos man also put the ball over the bar!
28′ – Corner swung in from the Japan left and headed clear by Brazil. Japan come again and return the ball to Nakamura on the left, but the midfielder is offside.
27′ – Endo almost picks out Kagawa with a back-post cross, headed for a corner by Adriano.
26′ GOAL Brazil 2-0 Japan (Neymar) – Down the middle from the Santos youngster and he never looked like missing.
24′ PENALTY – Kaká is fouled by Nagatomo. That looked harsh at first-look. Given for handball in the slide. Hmm… Japan won’t be happy, but I can understand the award.
22′ – That’s unlikely to happen, though, as they probe down the right through Hulk again. A throw-in is the end result.
21′ – The game has broken down for a couple of minutes now. Brazil could do with slowing it down a bit for the moment.
19′ – Oscar looks to pick out Hulk at the far-post with a cross from the left, but the ball floats tamely to keeper Kawashima.
18′ – Down the other end, Japan are enjoying a lot of space between the Brazilian defence and midfield, but not making anything of it for the moment.
16′ WHAT A MISS – Paulinho bursts forward from midfield and is picked-out by Neymar. The Corinthians midfielder rounds keeper Kawashima, but side-foots wide with his left-foot as the goal gaped ahead of him.
15′ – Almost an immediate response from Japan though. Kagawa hits the side-netting after Nakamura’s cute through-ball. Offside flagged against the Man Utd midfielder.
14′ – That could be a big goal for Brazil. This is a potentially tricky game and that should settle some nerves.
12′ GOAL Brazil 1-0 Japan (Paulinho) – The ball is laid inside by Kaká, a couple of yards outside the Japan box, and Paulinho is there to toe-poke powerfully past Kawashima in the Japanese net.
11′ – It’s still a bit confusing that Leandro Castan, rather than David Luiz, is at left-back. Luiz has played a lot of football in that position.
9′ – This is entertaining fair, with both teams throwing caution to the wind. The fans are enjoying the game so far.
8′ – Diego Alves forced into a sharp save low to his right to deny Honda once again, from a Kagawa flick. End to end game now.
7′ – First real glimpse of Japan as Kagawa finds Honda in an advanced position, but his shot is scuffed and Thiago Silva gets his body in the way to block.
6′ – Half-chance for Oscar, then. Hulk has the ball on the right and chips a cross to the Chelsea man who tries an ambitious volley which is sliced over.
5′ – Very controlled stuff from Brazil so far, but with little ambition for now.
4′ – Apologies for the slow start, but we’re good to go now. Brazil in possession in Wroclaw, moving the ball from side-to side in midfield.
1′ – Kick-off in Wroclaw
13.07 BST – The teams are coming out in Wroclaw then, a big test of Mano Menezes’ side today.
13.03 BST – The two countries famously met at the 2006 World Cup, a day marked by a brace from striker Ronaldo to become the top scorer in World Cup history.
12.59 BST – Japan, of course, come into this game off the back of an impressive 1-0 victory over France on Friday, thanks to a goal from Manchester United’s Shinji Kagawa. Here is a view of Kagawa from former Cerezo Osaka coach Delvir Culpi.
12.55 BST – For Japan, striker Havanaar misses out, with an extra man brought into a packed midfield. Keisuke Honda set to play as a false-nine, with neither side playing a target-man.
12.52 BST – Just the one change for Brazil then, Leandro Castán replacing the injured Marcelo in a makeshift defence. Ramires is passed fit to start after illness.
Japan: Kawashima; Uchida, Konno, Yoshida, Nagatomo; Nakamura, Endo, Hasebe, Kiyotake, Kagawa; Honda.
Brazil: Diego Alves;; Adriano, Thiago Silva, David Luiz, Leandro Castán; Paulinho, Ramires, Oscar, Kaká; Hulk, Neymar. Coach: Mano Menezes.
Match details:
Location: Stade Miejski, Wroclaw (POL)
Kick-off: 16/10/2012 13:10 BST
Referee: Marcin Borski (POL)
Assistants: Rafał Rostkowski (POL) and Tomasz Listkiewicz (POL)
