Watch: Under-fire Real Madrid forward scores stunning brace in 2-3 international loss to Japan

Watch: Under-fire Real Madrid forward scores stunning brace in 2-3 international loss to Japan Vinicius Jr. delivered an encouraging individual performance for Brazil on Saturday, scoring twice in their 2-3 friendly defeat against Japan in Singapore.  The Real Madrid forward produced two impressive finishes to bring his country back from a two-goal deficit, offering a timely reminder of his attacking quality amid questions surrounding his form this season. As far as the game is concerned, Japan took control early through Takefusa Kubo and Keito Nakamura, who scored in the 15th and 19th minutes respectively.  Brazil struggled to contain their opponents during the opening stages, but Vinicius provided the response with a long-range strike in the 33rd minute before finding the net again in the 75th minute to restore parity. Vinicius gives Brazil a route back into the contest Brazil’s comeback owed much to the Real Madrid forward’s individual quality.  His first goal came from a powerful effort from outside the penalty area that found the top corner, giving Brazil a much-needed foothold in the contest. The second was another demonstration of his ability to threaten from distance, as Vinicius produced a low finish in the 75th minute to make it 2-2, completing his brace and putting Brazil in a position to turn the match around. The two goals were particularly encouraging for a player who has faced scrutiny over his performances at club level .  Indeed, one international appearance cannot resolve questions about his consistency, but scoring twice against Japan is certainly a positive step in his attempt to regain confidence and sharpness. Japan punish Brazil after late controversy Despite Vinicius’s contribution, Brazil could not complete the comeback.  Japan continued to threaten and found the decisive goal in the 91st minute through Tatsuhiro Sakamoto, who converted after Brazil failed to deal with the situation inside their penalty area. The goal provoked furious protests from the Brazilian players and coaching staff, who believed there had been a foul in the build-up.  Those reactions resulted in straight red cards for head coach Carlo Ancelotti and Raphinha. The Barcelona forward had already been substituted, but was still dismissed following the protests.