The matchup between the two best teams in Group F lived up to the hype, with Japan and the Netherlands playing to an entertaining 2-2 draw after a busy second half.
The teams stayed locked at 0-0 throughout the first half, as Japan’s notoriously impenetrable defense held the Netherlands out of the attacking third. The Dutch, who held most of the possession in the half, were able to get a few good chances, but some excellent saves from Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki kept the game level heading into halftime.
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In the 51st minute, though, the Oranje finally broke through. After a well-defended Dutch free kick, Ryan Gravenberch sent in a long ball off the rebound, finding captain Virgil van Dijk for a beautiful header into the opposite corner.
That seemed to open the floodgates for both teams. Just six minutes later, Japan found its equalizer with a gorgeous strike from Keito Nakamura.
Seven minutes after that, the Netherlands responded with Crysencio Summerville’s beautiful shot from the edge of the box.
For a moment, the Netherlands retook control, seemingly locking up a key victory. But in the final minutes, Japan turned up the heat on offense, looking for that equalizer.
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After multiple set-piece opportunities, the Samurai Blue finally found it, with Japan scoring off a corner kick to tie things up. The goal, initially credited to Koki Ogawa, was later awarded to Daichi Kamada, as the ball deflected off his head and into the goal.
That score would hold, capping one of the most entertaining games of the tournament with a well-earned 2-2 draw. And the tie has interesting implications across Group F, meaning that wins in the rest of the group stage (against Sweden and Tunisia) will be pretty much needed in order to advance to the next round.
The Japanese have a history of stunning European giants in the World Cup: They beat Spain and Germany in 2022, winning the group and keeping Germany out of the knockout stage all together. Sunday’s draw is just the latest example of the kind of disruption that Japan can provide at this World Cup.
