Japan refuses to give up and pulls off an epic draw against the Netherlands at the 2026 World Cup

(AFP) Japan came back twice against the Netherlands and secured a 2-2 draw that felt like a victory this Sunday in Dallas, in a debut for both teams at the 2026 World Cup in North America that rewarded the Asian side’s mental fortitude.

In the match that kicked off Group F, the Dutch took the lead with a header by Virgil van Dijk in the 51st minute, but Keito Nakamura equalized it six minutes later. Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands’ lead in the 64th minute, and just when Ronald Koeman’s team seemed poised to win, Daichi Kamada scored the agonizing 2-2 equalizer in the 88th minute.

"I'm disappointed we didn't win, but I'm not that negative," Koeman said in response to criticism from some Dutch journalists at the press conference.

However, "of course we can perform better and we need to improve during the tournament," he conceded.

The Europeans’ ball control and patience seemed enough for a winning debut, but Hajime Moriyasu’s men had other plans, which they ultimately carried out thanks to a deflection that set up the goal by Kamada, the Crystal Palace midfielder.

In the first half, the match was intense and the Japanese defensive unit performed flawlessly, with an accurate Zion Suzuki in goal.

In the week leading up to the match, Moriyasu’s team experienced moments of tension when their captain and star player, Wataru Endo, was ruled out of the World Cup after failing to recover from an injury.

Excluded from the squad by his coach, the Liverpool midfielder announced his retirement from the Asian national team.

A thrilling finale

The emotional blow of losing their captain was barely a memory for the Asian team this Sunday, as the back-and-forth action was reserved for a high-octane second half.

Just minutes into the second half, Van Dijk opened the scoring with a header, followed by a rocket from the edge of the box by Nakamura, signaling that the Blue Samurai would fight until the end.

In a frenetic stretch of play, the Dutch took the lead again in the 64th minute, when West Ham’s Summerville beat his marker down the right flank and, with his left foot, curled the ball into the corner of Suzuki’s net.

But the hero of the afternoon in Dallas was Kamada with the dramatic equalizer.

"We aren't completely satisfied with the draw, but the Netherlands is a top-tier team and we tried to compete. We were tenacious but patient and kept our cool," the Japanese coach summarized.

In addition to the draw, the Netherlands is left with concerns about the performance of its all-time leading scorer, Memphis Depay, who entered the game in the 70th minute and appeared far from his best form.

Depay arrived at the World Cup after months marked by poor performances and a two-month injury that sidelined him at Corinthians in Brazil.

"Today was a very difficult match, very difficult from start to finish, and we managed to get a point," Van Dijk told the press after the game.

As the World Cup continues, Koeman and his players will have to prove against Sweden and Tunisia, the other two Group F rivals facing off this Sunday, that they have what it takes to hold their own for a team accustomed to reaching the later stages of World Cups.

The three-time World Cup runner-up (1974, 1978, and 2010) has, in this World Cup hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada, the mission of surpassing the quarterfinals it reached in Qatar 2022.

With less historical pressure, Japan is looking to advance past the round of 16 for the first time in World Cup history.