Hajime Moriyasu insists Japan ready to fight for World Cup 'shock' against Brazil

Japan secured their place in the knockout stage after finishing second in Group F following a 1-1 draw against Sweden in Dallas on Thursday. 

They will now face Brazil at Houston Stadium on Monday in a highly anticipated meeting between two teams with very different World Cup histories.

Moriyasu's side earned confidence from their memorable 3-2 comeback win over Brazil in Tokyo last October, which was Japan's first-ever victory against the South American giants.

"Last time we proved to Brazil that we aren't a pushover," Moriyasu said. "That is great progress for us. The Brazilian team is a top team in the world, and we greatly respect them.

"But in the match, we don't know what is going to happen. We will have a chance to win as well."

Japan showed resilience in their final group match against Sweden, with Daizen Maeda giving them the lead before Sweden responded shortly afterwards. The result was enough to secure second place in the group behind the Netherlands.

Moriyasu admitted he was disappointed after Japan conceded, but he explained that protecting the result became the priority once the match was level.

"We conceded a goal, and in the world of football, that is how it goes," he said. "After that, we needed to manage the game and make sure we achieved our objective."

Brazil reached the knockout stage as Group C winners after impressive victories over Haiti and Scotland, underlining their attacking strength and tournament ambitions.

However, Moriyasu believes Japan's progress represents more than just one team's achievement. He said reaching the last 32 was another sign of the continued development of Japanese football and a positive moment for Asian football as a whole.

"That is what we wanted to do from the beginning of the competition, and this is proof of the growth of Japanese football," Moriyasu said.

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