Japan come from behind twice to draw with Netherlands

3EPG36J ARLINGTON - Koki Ogawa of Japan celebrates the 2-2. (lr) Jan Paul van Hecke of the Netherlands, Virgil van Dijk of the Netherlands, Denzel Dumfries of the Netherlands are disappointed during the 2026 FIFA World Cup Group F match between the Netherlands and Japan at Dallas Stadium on June 14, 2026, in Arlington, United States. KOEN VAN WEEL / ANP

Japan delivered a determined performance to earn a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in an exciting Group F clash at AT&T Stadium.

The Dutch twice took the lead, but the Blue Samurai showed resilience, fighting back both times to secure a valuable point.

Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring for the Oranje, giving the Europeans an early advantage. Keito Nakamura responded with a well-executed finish to bring Japan level.

The Netherlands regained control through Crysencio Summerville, whose goal restored their lead and seemed to put them on track for victory.

However, Japan refused to back down and found another response. Daichi Kamada netted the equalizer to cap a thrilling encounter and ensure the spoils were shared.

The draw sees both teams start their Group F campaign with a point, leaving the race for qualification to the knockout stages finely balanced.

The Netherlands will now turn its attention to a meeting with Sweden on June 20, while Japan will face Tunisia on June 21 as both sides look to register their first win of the tournament.

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