Brazil-born ex-Japan defender backs Samurai Blue to shock Brazil

Former Brazil-born Japanese footballer Marcus Tulio Tanaka said the Samurai Blue are ‘on the right path’ heading into their Round of 32 clash against the five-time world champions set to take place in Houston on Monday.

Tulio, born in Brazil to a second-generation Japanese father and a Brazilian-Italian mother, is one of the few players with Brazilian roots who has played for the Samurai Blue in the international stage.

Thee centre-back has played 43 matches for the Asian side and has even represented them in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

The 45-year-old told FIFA that choosing a winner between the two countries was like choosing between his children.

Still, he tilted towards the Asian side, saying that in this World Cup Japan has a good chance of surprising Brazil.

“If this were any other World Cup, I think Japan’s chances of winning would be much lower,” he told FIFA. “But this time, I believe they’re much higher. Japan have a very well-organised team that knows exactly what it wants to do and is able to execute its game plan.”

He said Japan qualified from a tougher group and can go deep into the knockout stage.

“Japan were drawn into a tougher group, with the Netherlands as their main rival. Tunisia didn’t have a good World Cup, that’s true, but Sweden had several top players from Europe and produced a high-level performance against Japan.

“There are many obstacles to winning the World Cup. You have to constantly compete in the quarter-finals or the semi-finals. You have to break those obstacles. Of course, Brazil has won the World Cup many times but I think Japan is heading in the right direction, they're on the right path.”

Brazil and Japan have faced off only once before in the World Cup. Ronaldo Nazario scored a brace as Brazil defeated Japan 4-1 in the 2006 World Cup in Germany.