Japan showed their battling qualities to salvage a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener on Sunday as Hajime Moriyasu’s side backed up their desire to make an impact at the tournament with a gritty display.
Daichi Kamada was credited with his side’s all-important second goal in the 88th minute when the ball deflected off the Crystal Palace midfielder’s head to beat Bart Verbruggen after Koki Ogawa had powered his header towards goal.
The equaliser was Japan’s second of the match. The Samurai Blue had gone behind to Crysencio Summerville’s curling strike having seen Keito Nakamura cancel out Virgil van Dijk’s 51st-minute opener.
Japan had gone into the match at Dallas Stadium without Wataru Endo, who was withdrawn from the squad due to injury by Moriyasu, but the four-time Asian champions responded to the loss of their influential midfielder with a determined performance.
‘Solid job’
“The players did a solid job of carrying out what we had targeted and prepared for,” said Moriyasu.
“There had been various incidents even before the opening match. But in that first match, there was a real sense of unity.
“Even with unexpected accidents and situations we had not anticipated, I think the players stayed calm and composed and overcame the reality in front of them.”
Japan needed to show their composure from the early stages with Zion Suzuki forced to deny Donyell Malen, the Japan goalkeeper palming the ball over the bar in the third minute.
That early warning jolted Japan into taking control of possession, a move that limited openings for both sides.
Hiroki Ito’s defensive work frustrated Malen in the 34th minute and, from the resulting Tijjani Reijnders corner, Suzuki kept out the forward’s header.
Nakamura almost put Japan in front late in the half, pulling his shot wide of Bart Verbruggen’s right post having been found by Ritsu Doan’s searching cross, while, moments later, Ayase Ueda hit the side netting.
Deserved reward
The Netherlands threatened from the start of the second half and earned a deserved reward six minutes after the resumption when Van Dijk scored.
Reijnders’ free kick was headed clear by Doan to Frenkie de Jong and he shuttled possession to Ryan Gravenberch for the Liverpool man to send an inviting cross towards his clubmate, who nodded beyond Suzuki via the inside of the post.
Japan had been second best after the interval but within seven minutes they levelled when Nakamura drove a deflected strike into the bottom corner from Takefusa Kubo’s cutback.
Parity lasted seven minutes as the Dutch reclaimed the lead through Summerville, the West Ham United winger bending a perfectly placed left-foot strike around Suzuki from just inside the area.
Kubo shot over the bar with an effort on the run as Japan sought to respond again and in the dying moments their efforts paid off.
Ogawa powered his header towards goal and, with the ball taking a deflection off the head of the unwitting Kamada, Verbruggen was unable to deny the Japanese a second equaliser.
The result left Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman frustrated at his side’s inability to twice hold onto their lead with the Dutch facing Sweden in their next Group F encounter in Houston on Saturday.
“It’s disappointing,” said Koeman. “You come ahead twice and you don’t end up winning the game, but you shouldn’t underestimate the strength of our opponent. That’s my opinion.”
