Japan players Junya Ito and Zion Suzuki discussed their side's heartbreaking 2-1 defeat to Brazil in the Round of 32.

Football is the beautiful game, but there are times when it can be cruel. A team can give everything they have for 90 minutes, and still not be rewarded. In Houston, Japan learned this the hard way in their Round of 32 encounter with Brazil. They had history - a first ever FIFA World Cup™ knockout round win - within their grasp, but it was not meant to be.

Japan took the lead through a 29th-minute Kaishu Sano strike, igniting hopes that this would be the year. However, fate had other ideas, and two second-half goals for Brazil flipped the match on its head. First came Casemiro’s header in the 56th minute. Next, a Gabriel Martinelli finish completed a 2-1 comeback victory. Japan’s journey was once again cut short in the first knockout round.

Speaking with FIFA, Japan's Junya Ito said that the changes made by Brazil head coach Carlo Ancelotti undid Japan's resilient defence. “Things were going nicely in the first half, but they started putting in more crosses and pushed us back,” said Ito.

“It’s a big regret for our tournament to end here,” said Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu, “but the players really gave it their all. I hope that we made everyone proud and the lads get the recognition they deserve for working hard right up to the last minute.”

Sano took his first half goal well, but would depart Houston Stadium stung by frustration. “The result is everything. I really thought we had what it takes to go further, so I’m feeling gutted.”

Goalkeeper Zion Suzuki echoed that sentiment, while also expressing optimism at how this can help Japan in future editions. “[The goal] was something that shouldn’t have happened, but we’re going to use this experience as fuel, and we’ll carry it with us into the next World Cup,” Suzuki said to FIFA.

This was Japan’s second World Cup clash with Brazil, 20 years after their meeting at the 2006 tournament in Germany. On that occasion, the Asian side were brushed aside, losing by a 4-1 scoreline. The fact that they pushed the same opponents right to the final moments of additional time shows just how far they have come in the last two decades.

Speaking after the final whistle, Brazilian star Mateus Cunha had plenty of praise for their opponents. “We’d imagined it would be a challenge, but they came at us with a clear game plan. They made it really tough for us, and we have to give them a lot of credit for that.”

The fact that Japan earned such praise from their victorious opponents speaks volumes about the quality of their performance.

The quarter-finals will elude Japan for another four years. However, the manner in which they went toe to toe with one of the finest teams in the world is the clearest possible demonstration of their improvement as a side. Can they take this pain and use it to push on further still? Their next four-year journey begins today.