Netherlands 2-2 Japan: Late-time score saves 1pt for the Samurai

Japan secure 1 point in dramatic late equalizer. Here is the match report.

Match Highlight:

https://www.fifa.com/en/watch/hfEd1R54PslEMX4Rqb0EP

Match Report

Japan twice came from behind to snatch a 2-2 draw with Netherlands, with Daichi Kamada scoring the decisive goal at Dallas Stadium.

Crysencio Summerville's first Netherlands goal looked set to seal the Oranje a win in their opener, but Japan's late pressure paid off after an 88th-minute corner.

Donyell Malen almost broke the deadlock in the third minute as he spun away from his defender to fire a powerful shot on goal, but Zion Suzuki got behind it.

Both sides struggled to create openings in a cagey first half, but Keito Nakamura should have given Japan the lead on the stroke of half-time as he found space just outside the box, only to drag his effort wide of the left post.

But the second half sparked into life within just six minutes. Tijjani Reijnders' poor free-kick was recycled by Ryan Gravenberch, whose pinpoint delivery was nodded home by Virgil van Dijk.

However, Netherlands' lead lasted all of six minutes as Japan levelled against the run of play. Takefusa Kubo was given too much space down the right, and his pullback was drilled into the bottom-left corner by Nakamura, with the help of a small deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

Summerville restored Netherlands' lead in the 64th minute, with Gravenberch again the provider. He spread play out to the right, and Summerville cut inside to whip his shot in off the far post.

Cody Gakpo forced Suzuki into another smart stop shortly after, but Japan continued to up the intensity. A late corner was whipped into Koki Ogawa, whose header bounced off Kamada and in, with Bart Verbruggen unable to keep it out despite getting a hand to it.

Netherlands end goalscoring woes, but fall short against Japan's resilience

Coming into the World Cup, Ronald Koeman was left frustrated after Netherlands failed to score from open play in three straight matches, and those troubles did not look set to end in the first half.

In fact, three of their four first-half efforts came from set-piece situations (two corners, one free-kick).

However, Van Dijk popped up with yet another important goal. Though he was starting his 66th game for club and country this season (more than any other European player in Europe's top five leagues), he showed no signs of slowing down as he became Netherlands' second-oldest World Cup scorer with his first-ever major tournament goal.

Japan have so often proven a bigger threat after the break in the World Cup, though, and that was the case again. Nine of their last 10 goals in the tournament have been scored in the second half.

Their resilience will be key to this campaign if they want to get past the round of 16 for the first time – this is their eighth appearance at the World Cup, and given what they showed on Sunday, they could be set to end that run.

Line-ups

Netherlands XI: Van Dijk, Dumfries, De Jong, Gakpo, Malen, Reijnders, Gravenberch, Crysencio Summerville, Jan Paul van Hecke, Bart Verbruggen, Van de Ven

Subs: De Roon, Depay, Ake, Mark Flekken, Weghorst, Koopmeiners, Kluivert, Guus Til, Lang, Lutsharel Geertruida, Quinten Timber, Brian Brobbey, Mats Wieffer, Robin Roefs, Jorrel Hato

Japan XI: Shogo Taniguchi, Ritsu Doan, Kamada, Daizen Maeda, Hiroki Ito, Takefusa Kubo, Keito Nakamura, Zion Suzuki, Ayase Ueda, Tsuyoshi Watanabe, Kaishu Sano

Subs: Nagatomo, Junya Ito, Ko Itakura, Tomiyasu, Koki Ogawa, Ao Tanaka, Ayumu Seko, Keisuke Osako, Yukinari Sugawara, Shuto Machino, Yuito Suzuki, Tomoki Hayakawa, Keisuke Goto, Junnosuke Suzuki, Kento Shiogai