ARLINGTON, Texas — Daichi Kamada’s fortuitous 88th-minute header gave Japan a dramatic 2-2 draw against Netherlands in Dallas on Sunday.

Koki Ogawa rose highest from Junya Ito’s corner to nod the ball goalward, but it flicked off Kamada and beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to spark jubilant celebrations among those dressed in blue among the crowd of 69,285 at AT&T Stadium.

After a drab first-half short on chances, the game sprang into life with three goals in 13 minutes, beginning with center back Virgil van Dijk’s clever 51st-minute header from Liverpool teammate Ryan Gravenberch’s right-wing cross. Japan hit back six minutes later as Keito Nakamura drifted into a central position to hit a low drive which appeared to take a deflection off Jan Paul van Hecke.

Crysencio Summerville, who only made his senior Netherlands debut earlier this month, thought he had won it on 64 minutes with a moment of magic. Cutting in from the right, the 24-year-old West Ham winger curled a fine effort in off the post. But Japan had the last laugh to ensure the points were shared. — James Olley

Japan show why they’re capable of a deep run in 2026

It may not have been the stunning victories over Germany and Spain at the last World Cup, but the determination Japan displayed in forcing a draw against Netherlands highlighted how they genuinely could be dark horses. Even with a host of key players ruled out of the tournament, the Samurai Blue were able to twice come from behind to claim what could prove to be a crucial point.

Of course, Japan have actually declared that their aim this year is to win the World Cup, so they probably wouldn’t mind being regarded as under-the-radar contenders. “We didn’t just come here for fun. We have to be ready for [challenging to win the World Cup],” wing back Yukinari Sugawara told ESPN on Saturday. “We have to fight for that. We have to fight for our country, our family, our friends, and all of the Japanese people.

They will now have to kick on and live up to the billing, especially when they head into their next games against Tunisia and Sweden arguably as the favorites. — Gabriel Tan

Netherlands twice blow lead, but Summerville shines in Depay absence

Netherlands have never failed to win a World Cup game having twice taken the lead … until now. They extend an impressive unbeaten run in group stage games to 17 — already a present-day record — but will feel bitterly disappointed at dropping two points, making Group F considerably harder.

The expanded format means qualification is not yet at risk, but the presence of Sweden and Tunisia already made this a tricky group, and now it will be more difficult to secure top spot. Despite Koeman suggesting beforehand that talisman Memphis Depay would be fit to start, he was only able to play the final 20 minutes.

Thankfully, Summerville stepped up with the game’s best moment, marking another step in a dramatic rise for the 24-year-old. He was a surprise inclusion for the squad, and this was only his third senior cap. The other two came in the last two weeks, in Netherlands’ two warm-up games against Algeria and Uzbekistan. The suspicion is Depay — Netherlands all-time top scorer on 55 goals — will need to be somewhere near his best for the team to go deep at the World Cup, but Summerville’s current form is a useful alternative. — Olley

Japan’s attack deserves admiration, but balance could be needed

Having previously received his fair share of criticism for a perceived overconservative approach, Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu deserves credit for sticking to his newfound attacking philosophy that served him so well throughout the qualifiers — even now coming up against far stronger opposition.

In Ritsu Dōan and Keito Nakamura, the Samurai Blue had two fully offensive-minded players occupying the wing back roles. It was the latter who scored their first equalizer with a fine effort.

However, both looked very vulnerable going the other way. Dōan, in particular, was constantly beaten by Cody Gakpo. Yet it feels a bit harsh to blame him too much, given he was hardly in his natural position.

Perhaps Moriyasu needs to find a balance, although now that Japan’s toughest test on paper is out of the way, maybe he should persist with his setup coming up against Tunisia and Sweden — especially given that it ultimately reaped a reward against the Dutch, even if it wasn’t all three points. — Tan

Van Dijk’s importance underlined on mixed night

Koeman provided a reminder of Van Dijk’s pivotal role on Saturday. “He is a great player from the defense to the front and strong in set-pieces which can be very important,” said the Netherlands coach, before adding: “With all due respect, this will most likely be his last World Cup, so we hope this will be unforgettable experience for Virgil.”

He now has his first World Cup goal to show for it. It perhaps summed up Netherlands’ sterile domination of the first half that Van Dijk set another record. His 68 completed passes were the most by a Netherlands player in the first half of a World Cup game since records began. But his 51st-minute header added a much-needed goal threat to a game that was threatening to drift at that point. His header had to travel 10 meters back across goal, giving him time to complete the action and watch on with everyone else to see if it would hit the post and go in.

However, the 34-year-old was beaten in the air by Ogawa as Japan snatched a draw — although it was not enough to deny him the Superior Player of the Match award. — Olley

Zion Suzuki has found his feet as Japan’s No. 1

Born in Little Rock, Arkansas, to a Japanese mother and a Ghanaian father, Zion Suzuki has been Japan’s starting goalkeeper for over two years now, but his first major international tournament was one to forget. He had an error-strewn campaign as Japan fell to a disappointing quarterfinal exit at the 2023 AFC Asian Cup — but there was absolutely no place for the vile racial abuse that was directed his way for his mistakes.

Suzuki, who has since earned a big move to Serie A with Parma, showed on Sunday why Moriyasu has kept his faith in him, making three big saves against the Dutch, two from Donyell Malen and one from Gakpo, that ultimately proved crucial in Japan earning a point — while there was nothing he could have done about both the goals he conceded. — Tan