World Cup
Netherlands- ⚽ Virgil van Dijk 51'
- ⚽ Crysencio Summerville 64'
Japan- ⚽ Keito Nakamura 57'
- ⚽ Daichi Kamada 89'
Predictions closed
Ninety XI Man of the Match
Keito Nakamura
JapanFull results
- Keito Nakamura1 · 100%
Timeline
- 90+1'Micky van de VenProfessional foul
- 89'⚽Daichi KamadaHeader
- 85'Brian Brobbey↳ Cody Gakpo⇄
- 84'⇄Kento Shiogai↳ Ayase Ueda
- 83'Memphis DepayFoul
- 81'Nathan Aké↳ Ryan Gravenberch⇄
- 75'⇄Takehiro Tomiyasu↳ Tsuyoshi Watanabe
Top Stats
Lineups
Netherlands4-3-36.7
6.11 Verbruggen
6.522 Dumfries
7.06 Hecke⚽51'
7.44 Dijk90'
6.515 Ven↓81'
7.68 Gravenberch
7.121 Jong↓70'
6.914 Reijnders61'⚽64'↓70'
7.424 Summerville↓70'
6.718 Malen↓85'
7.311 Gakpo
6.71 Suzuki
6.321 Ito
6.53 Taniguchi↓75'
6.816 Watanabe⚽57'
7.7★13 Nakamura⚽89'
7.615 Kamada
6.224 Sano↓75'
6.310 Doan↓66'
6.211 Maeda↓75'
6.98 Kubo↓84'
6.718 UedaNetherlands · Bench
Japan · Bench
Attack Momentum
Match Stats
Attacking
Possession & Passing
Defending
Discipline
Related News
Netherlands and Japan Share Spoils in 2-2 Draw After Hard-Fought Opener
Netherlands and Japan settled for a 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium in the World Cup opening clash following a goalless first half. The first half was goalless, but straight after half-time, Virgil van Dijk made his mark as he netted with an assist by Ryan Gravenberch to give Netherlands the lead. With 57 minutes on the clock Japan's Keito Nakamura found the net following a Takefusa Kubo assist to equalise. Netherlands took the lead just seven minutes later as Crysencio Summerville found the net with an assist by Ryan Gravenberch. The equaliser came when Daichi Kamada scored for Japan with an assist by Koki Ogawa. "I'm disappointed that we failed to win, but even though we fell behind twice, the players never gave up and fought hard together as a team. While earning only a point is a little disappointing, we managed to get a result through our collective effort. We defended patiently and then tried to be more aggressive going forward. The players executed what we had planned and prepared for," Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu said about the well-fought draw. The next World Cup games for Netherlands are Sweden on 20 June and Tunisia on 26 June. Japan play Tunisia on 21 June and Sweden on 26 June.
Flying Dutchmen unsheathe swords against Blue Samurai in FIFA 2026 Group F encounter.
The Netherlands vs. Japan kicks off at 21:00 [GMT+1] on Sunday, June 14, at the AT&T Stadium. Both nations arrive in strong form ahead of Sunday’s Group F match, with impressive defensive records and proven ability to compete against high-level opposition. Managed by Ronald Koeman, the Netherlands enter the tournament with a reputation for organisation, technical quality and tactical flexibility. The Flying Dutchmen are making successive World Cup appearances, having missed out on the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia. Across their last 40 matches in all competitions, the Dutch have won 23 games, averaging 2.28 goals scored while conceding just 1.0 per match. Recent form has been particularly encouraging. The Netherlands are unbeaten in their last 12 competitive matches, a run that highlights both their resilience and ability to avoid costly mistakes. They have also won by two or more goals in 40% of their last 20 matches, demonstrating their capacity to turn narrow advantages into comfortable victories. World Cup history further strengthens their credentials. The Dutch have won nine of their last 12 matches in the competition. They have avoided defeat in 11 of those 12 World Cup fixtures, illustrating a team that traditionally performs well on football's biggest stage. A 4—2—3—1 formation with Memphis Depay in attack. Liverpool's Cody Gakpo, City’s Tijjani Reijnders and Roma’s Donyell Malen are expected to form an attacking trio behind Depay. The Netherlands are sweating over the fitness of goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen following a hip injury in their warm-up game against Uzbekistan. He remains in doubt for Sunday’s clash. Japan, however, arrive with statistics that demand equal respect. Under Hajime Moriyasu, the Samurai Blue have developed into one of Asia's strongest and most tactically disciplined sides. They have won 22 of their last 30 matches in all competitions, scoring an impressive 2.57 goals per game while conceding just 0.53. That defensive record is among the standout numbers heading into the tournament. Japan's ability to press collectively, recover possession quickly and maintain their shape has made them extremely difficult to break down. At the same time, their pace in transition and technical quality in possession provide a genuine attacking threat against any opponent. Both sides have won four of their last six matches, reinforcing the sense that this contest is finely balanced. While the Netherlands may hold a slight advantage in terms of tournament pedigree and individual quality, Japan has the quality to trouble even the most experienced teams. Feyenoord’s Ayase Ueda could team up with Takefusa Kubo and Crystal Palace’s Daichi Kamada in attack when manager Hajime Moriyasu deploys the familiar 4—3—3 formation.
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