Former Manchester United captain Roy Keane delivered a blend of praise and criticism for Casemiro following Brazil’s narrow 2-1 victory over Japan in their World Cup Round of 32 encounter.
Brazil, one of the tournament favourites, were briefly under pressure after Kaishū Sano gave Japan a first-half lead, raising concerns of a possible upset. Casemiro endured a difficult opening period, picking up an early booking and being partly at fault for the concession.
Speaking at half-time on ITV, Keane highlighted shortcomings in Brazil’s midfield structure and singled out key errors in Casemiro’s play, arguing that lapses in positioning and decision-making contributed to the goal. He also noted that the midfielder’s caution after an early yellow card affected his defensive approach.
Despite his criticism, Keane acknowledged Japan’s quality in the moment that led to the goal, while stressing that Brazil’s midfield performance overall fell below expectation in the first half of the contest.
