Game of the 2026 World Cup? So far, it’s a prime candidate.
The Group F opener Sunday between the Netherlands and Japan was always seen on paper as a key game to track. After 96 minutes, the two delivered a thrilling 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys.
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The Netherlands mostly dominated the first half with forwards Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo getting on the ball often, but couldn’t find the finishing touch against Japan’s five-at-the-back system.
Japan was happy to sit back and hit the Dutch on the counter, with two wingbacks in Ritsu Doan and Keito Nakamura that play as attackers at club level now needing to defend. But the level of transition play wasn’t ideal against a Netherlands side that wants to dominate with the ball.
Things then changed entirely in the second half for both sides, where all four goals transpired.
Netherlands captain and star center-back Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring in the 50th minute. Off a free kick from the right flank via Ryan Gravenberch, van Dijk did brilliantly to redirect his header toward the bottom right corner. It’s something the defender is used to doing for Premier League giants Liverpool.
But Japan didn’t trail for long.
Just seven minutes later, it was left wingback Nakamura that took a shot with his right foot well that received a slight nick from center-back Jan Paul van Hecke.
Then another seven minutes later, the Dutch went back on top. Right-footed right winger Crysencio Summerville cut inside and exquisitely finessed it in with his weaker left foot.
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But it was some Dutch substitutions six minutes later that altered the momentum. Summerville and Malen were among two of three players who came off, and the Netherlands attack didn’t have the intensity it did in the opening half.
Japan responded with a triple change of its own that did offer more intensity.
The Samurai Blue showed off what they can do when they don’t sit back for the counter-attack, moving the ball around with pace and interchanging at an elite level.
Their equalizer in the 89th minute came off a corner kick where 75th-minute entry Koki Ogawa nodded it for Daichi Kamada to head home with pace. Dutch star van Dijk was in the vicinity but couldn’t get a deflection.
It was Japan’s latest goal in the World Cup ever — and likely a group-altering one.
Sweden and Tunisia are the fellow members of an intriguing Group F. The former features star attackers in Viktor Gyokeres and Alexander Isak, so the battle for first and third place will be tough. Tunisia is on the outside looking in, but the biggest underdogs can’t always be overlooked.
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