45 minutes from Brazil ‘humiliation’ – but ‘Crafty Carlo’ does it againFigure caption, Martinelli scores a stoppage-time winner to send Brazil through to last 16BySam DruryBBC Sport journalistPublished34 minutes agoHalf-time in Houston and Brazil’s players trudged off knowing what the mood would be back home.They were 45 minutes from another early World Cup exit – their swiftest since 1966 – and national humiliation.Japan had kept Brazil at arm’s length in their last-32 tie, got themselves in front, and looked quite comfortable.For a team who had not come from behind to win a World Cup knockout game since 2002, things did not look good and, for those watching on, an upset was starting to look a realistic prospect.But we should have known better than to doubt Carlo Ancelotti.The Brazil coach is a serial winner.A record five Champions League wins as a manager, trophies in all five of Europe’s major leagues.You name it, he’s won it. At least at club level.But this is his first international job and the Italian is Brazil’s first foreign coach at a World Cup, so surely even he was a little concerned after the first 45 minutes.”No. Not really. I was confident in our team,” he mentioned.Unflustered to the last. By that stage, of course, Ancelotti had masterminded Brazil’s first comeback victory in a World Cup knockout game since beating Turkey in the semi-finals some 24 years ago.Crisis had been averted and a last-16 tie against either Ivory Coast or Norway awaits.But there is no doubt it required the 67-year-old keeping his cool to get them there.Last-gasp Martinelli strike edges Brazil past Japan
