ARLINGTON, Texas -- Daichi Kamada's fortuitous 88th-minute header gave Japan a dramatic 2-2 draw against Netherlands on Sunday in a World Cup Group F matchup.
Koki Ogawa rose highest from Junya Ito's corner to nod the ball goalward, but it flicked off Kamada and beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to spark jubilant celebrations among those dressed in blue among the crowd of 69,285 at Dallas Stadium (AT&T Stadium).
After a drab first-half short on chances, the game sprang to life with three goals in 13 minutes, beginning with center back Virgil van Dijk's clever 51st-minute header from Liverpool teammate Ryan Gravenberch's right-wing cross. Japan hit back six minutes later as Keito Nakamura drifted into a central position to hit a low drive that appeared to take a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.
Crysencio Summerville, who made his senior Netherlands debut earlier this month, thought he had won it in the 64th minute with a moment of magic. Cutting in from the right, the 24-year-old West Ham winger curled a fine effort in off the post. But Japan had the last laugh to ensure the points were shared. -- James Olley
It wasn't the stunning victories over Germany and Spain at the last World Cup, but the determination Japan displayed in forcing a draw against Netherlands highlighted how they genuinely could be one of the few unfancied teams to break into the latter stages of the tournament. Even with a host of key players ruled, the Samurai Blue were able to twice come from behind to claim what could prove to be a crucial point.
Of course, Japan have actually declared that their aim this year is to win the World Cup, so they probably wouldn't mind being regarded as under-the-radar contenders. "We didn't just come here for fun. We have to be ready for [challenging to win the World Cup]," wing back Yukinari Sugawara told ESPN on Saturday. "We have to fight for that. We have to fight for our country, our family, our friends, and all of the Japanese people.
They will now have to kick on and live up to the billing, especially when they head into their next games against Tunisia and Sweden arguably as the favorites. -- Gabriel Tan
Netherlands have never failed to win a World Cup game having twice taken the lead ... until now. They extend an impressive unbeaten run in group stage games to 17 -- already a present-day record -- but will feel bitterly disappointed at dropping two points, making Group F considerably harder.
The expanded format means qualification is not yet at risk, but the presence of Sweden and Tunisia already made this a tricky group, and now it will be more difficult to secure the top spot. Despite Koeman suggesting beforehand that talisman Memphis Depay would be fit to start, he was able to play only the final 20 minutes.
Thankfully, Summerville stepped up with the game's best moment, marking another step in a dramatic rise for the 24-year-old. He was a surprise inclusion for the squad, and this was only his third senior cap. The other two came in the past two weeks, in Netherlands' two warmup games against Algeria and Uzbekistan. The suspicion is Depay -- Netherlands all-time top scorer with 55 goals -- will need to be somewhere near his best for the team to go deep at the World Cup, but Summerville's current form is a useful alternative. -- Olley
Having previously received his fair share of criticism for a perceived overly conservative approach, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu deserves credit for sticking to his newfound attacking philosophy that served him so well throughout the qualifiers -- even now coming up against far stronger opposition.
In Ritsu Dōan and Keito Nakamura, the Samurai Blue had two fully offense-minded players occupying the wingback roles. It was the latter who scored their first equalizer with a fine effort.
But both looked very vulnerable going the other way. Dōan, in particular, was constantly beaten by Cody Gakpo. Yet it feels a bit harsh to blame him too much, given he was hardly in his natural position.
Perhaps Moriyasu needs to find a balance, although now that Japan's toughest test on paper is out of the way, maybe he should persist with his setup coming up against Tunisia and Sweden -- especially given that it ultimately reaped a reward against the Dutch, even if it wasn't all three points. -- Tan
Koeman provided a reminder of Van Dijk's pivotal role Saturday. "He is a great player from the defense to the front and strong in set pieces, which can be very important," the Netherlands coach said before adding: "With all due respect, this will most likely be his last World Cup, so we hope this will be unforgettable experience for Virgil."
He now has his first World Cup goal to show for it. It perhaps summed up Netherlands' sterile domination of the first half that Van Dijk set another record. His 68 completed passes were the most by a Netherlands player in the first half of a World Cup game. But his 51st-minute header added a much-needed goal threat to a game that was threatening to drift at that point. His header had to travel 10 meters back across goal, giving him time to complete the action and watch with everyone else to see if it would hit the post and go in.
But the 34-year-old was beaten in the air by Ogawa as Japan snatched a draw -- although it was not enough to deny him the Superior Player of the Match award. -- Olley
Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father, Zion Suzuki has been Japan's starting goalkeeper for over two years now, but his first major international tournament was one to forget. He had an error-strewn campaign as Japan fell to a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.
Suzuki, who has since earned a big move to Serie A with Parma, showed Sunday why Moriyasu has kept his faith in him, making three big saves against the Dutch, two from Donyell Malen and one from Gakpo, that ultimately proved crucial in Japan earning a point -- while there was nothing he could have done about both the goals he conceded. -- Tan
Source: https://www.espn.com/soccer/story/_/id/49065026/japan-justify-sleeper-credentials-dramatic-draw-netherlands-2026-world-cup