THE NETHERLANDS: Verbruggen; Van de Ven🟨, Van Dijk⚽, Van Hecke, Dumfries – F. De Jong, Gravenberch (from 81. Ake), Reijnders (from 71. Koopmeiners) – Summerville🟨⚽ (from 71. Timber), Malen (from 71. Depay), Gakpo (from 85. Brobbey).
Manager: Ronald Koeman.
JAPAN: Suzuki – Taniguchi, Watanabe (from 75. Sugawara), H. Ito – Doan (from 75. Tomiyasu), Kamada⚽, Sano, Nakamura⚽ – Kubo (from 75. Ogawa), Ueda (from 84. Shiogai), Maeda (from 66. J.Ito).
Selector: Hajime Moriyasu.
ARLINGTON – AT&T Stadium. Referee: Ismail Elfath (USA).
The report is written by: Toni Roić
Under a closed roof and in the air conditioned air of the stadium in Arlington near Dallas, the Netherlands and Japan played the first match in Group F, which ended without a winner 2:2. All the goals were scored in the second half, the Dutch led twice, but the persistent Japanese both times caught up and got a point at the start of the American World Cup.
The duel started with a great opportunity Donyella Malenawho broke free from the keeper in the 3rd minute and shot with the right from 14 meters, but the Japanese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki reacted brilliantly and kicked the ball into the corner. Many thought that it could be the announcement of an open fight, but as the minutes went by, the Dutch had more of the ball, but the mobile Japanese block was difficult to break through and get into a shot situation. In the 34th minute, Malen attempted a header after a corner, but again Suzuki blocked him, while a little later, from twelve meters away Cody Gakpo caught the ball worse than expected and shot high over the goal.
In 2022, at the tournament in Katra, Gakpo scored in all three games in the group to lead the Dutch 1:0, but it didn’t go that way in America. The Japanese created their two most dangerous threats at the end of the first half, but first Keito Nakamura hit the goalkeeper’s bottle with a point from thirteen meters away, which was next to the goal post, and Ayase Ueda, after entering the penalty area from the right, shot into the outer part of the net, so the break went to the starting score.
When the attackers couldn’t, then the captain and stopper of the Netherlands is theirs Virgil van Dijk showed how it’s done in the 51st minute. Ryan Gravenberch sent a cross from the right side, and Van Dijk headed the ball from the post into the net for a 1:0 advantage for the team in orange jerseys (popularly known as Oranje).
However, the celebration of the Dutch lasted only six minutes. Nakamura received the ball from Kubo and didn’t wait too long, but shot with his right from 17 meters and hit the bottom left corner for 1:1. The ball touched a little Daizen Maedabut still the goal was attributed to Nakamura, who previously scored seven times for Japan and all games ended in victory, but he will have nothing against this draw.
A quick response from coach Hajime Moriyasu’s squad got the Netherlands going again and a new lead followed in the 64th minute. Gravenberch was an assistant for the second time, a Crysencio Summerville made a really great left-footed shot from about 14 meters to the half-right, and the ball bounced off the opposite goal into Suzuki’s net, just like Van Dijk’s goal. It can be said that the Japanese goalkeeper was not very lucky, that is, the goal frame did not decide to help him in this match.
In the 80th minute, Yukinari Sugawara received the ball in the penalty area in a very promising position, but the shot was not strong enough to surprise goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. The Japanese pressed hard at the end of the match and it paid off in the 89th minute when they won a corner and then equalized. Koki Ogawa managed to shoot a header among the tall Dutch defenders, and the ball was still touched by Daichi Kamada and with a bad intervention by Verbruggen, it ended up in the net for the final and fairest 2:2 in Arlington.
90+3. For now, the referee’s compensation passes without much excitement. The teams do not want to take risks in the very end of the match.
90. 🕖
At least six minutes of stoppage time will be played.
89. ⚽GOOOL!
The Japanese score from the Dutch ‘weapon’, i.e. a corner. Kamada jumped brilliantly, and the ball from the block and Verbruggen’s hand goes into the net.
84. ⇔
Shiogai enters instead of Ueda at Japan. It was the fifth and last substitution, and Koeman made the same one a minute later when Brobbey came on for Gakpo.
83. 🟨
After the jump start, Depay becomes the second Dutch player with a yellow card.
81. We are entering the final minutes of the match, not counting the referee’s compensation. Ronald Koeman decided to introduce defender Ake instead of midfielder Gravenberch to ‘close’ the game.
75. ⇔
Triple change for Japan. Sugawara, Tomiyasu and Ogawa enter the game, and Watanabe, Kubo and Doan go out.
73. ⚠
Gakpo took the first corner from the penalty area, but again Suzuki reacted brilliantly!
71. ⇔
Triple change for the Netherlands. Enter Depay, Timber and Koopmeiners, and exit Malen, Summerville and Reijnders. Play resumed after the substitutions.
67. It’s time for a new break. Let’s mention how a few moments ago Junya Ito entered instead of Maeda.
64. ⚽GOOOL!
Summerville earned a yellow card a few minutes ago, and now they are among the scorers! He positioned himself brilliantly on the right side and hit a low shot into the opposite corner to give the Netherlands a new lead.
61. 🟨
He interrupted Japan’s Summerville counterattack and earned a yellow card.
57. ⚽GOOOL!
The Japanese are coming back fast! Nakamura did well on the edge of the penalty area and hit a precise shot into the first corner for Japan’s return to the match.
55. The Dutch took possession after a goal was scored. The Japanese continue to look for their opportunities on the counter.
51. ⚽GOOOL!
The captain puts the Netherlands in the lead! Van Dijk bowed after a great cross from the right and scored to an eruption of delight from the fans behind the goal.
46. The second half has started!
The Netherlands and Japan go into the break without scoring. The Dutch were closer to a goal during the first 45 minutes of the game, but the impression was that both teams were booked in what was declared the derby of Group F. Malen threatened in the opening minutes of the half, but the Japanese goalkeeper then stood out with a great save. The same duo was in action in the 34th minute, and Suzuki emerged as the winner again. The Japanese had the best chances at the end of the half, which they finished with three shots (none of them went into the frame), while the Dutch had five (three of them went into the frame of the goal).
45. 🕖
At least three minutes of stoppage time will be played.
45. He now also threatened Ued after brilliantly fighting for space next to Van Dijk. He aimed for the first corner, but only hit the outside of the net.
43. ⚠
Nakamura tried to redeem himself after a bad interception. He took the first corner from the penalty area, but the ball went a little past the goal post. This was Japan’s first big opportunity in a duel.
41. Van Dijk made a mistake in passing the ball. The Japanese used this to launch a counterattack, which was concluded by Nakamura’s cross from the left. Unfortunately for the Japanese, the ball ended up outside the field of play.
36. He threatened Gakpo after the break. The bounced ball reached the offensive player of the Netherlands, but his shot, which he sent in the fall, was not accurate enough.
34. ⚠
Malen was again in the main role for the Dutch. The striker headed in after a cross from the corner, but this time too Suzuki stopped him.
28. He shot at Ito from a distance, but was unable to seriously threaten Verbruggen. His attempt went over the goal.
26. The game resumed after the break.
23. Time for a refreshment break.
22. We are still waiting for a new opportunity after Malen’s shot at the very start of the game.
15. Now the Japanese on the left combined brilliantly. The ball reached Maeda in the penalty area, but the attacker did not do well in the duel with Van Hecke, so the Dutch got a goal-out.
11. We are waiting for a new opportunity after a very energetic opening by both teams.
6. The Japanese earned a free kick on the left side of the attack after a good pass by Nakamura. They made a break, but in the end they didn’t get the chance.
3. ⚠
Malen fought brilliantly for space 11 meters from the goal. He aimed for the first corner, but Suzuki defends brilliantly and sends the ball into the corner!
The announcement is written by: Damir Dobrinić
The derby at the start of Group F, after which many things will be clearer for both the Dutch and the Japanese. Maybe this is a direct clash for first place in Group F, which also includes Sweden and Tunisia. They have played three times so far, twice Oranje won with one draw, but it is not impossible for the Samurai to end that streak. It is a good team, and the Netherlands, led by Ronald Koeman, is not one of the strongest in history.
The selector of the European representative has certain problems, the first goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, the keeper of the Brighton net, has had problems with an injury, but he is still expected to perform.
– Japan is very strong, they play with a lot of discipline and are full of quality. We are really looking forward to the duel with them – said the Dutch captain, Virgil van Dijk.
The Japanese, on the other hand, were left without their captain. Van Dijk’s club teammate from Liverpool, Wataru Endo, announced a few days ago that he is withdrawing from the squad for the World Cup due to an injury, thereby ending his national team career.
– We have good grounds for optimism considering what happened at the last World Cup when we beat Germany and Spain – says the president of the Japanese Federation, Tsuneyasu Miyamoto.
Let’s remind you, because it’s always nice to remember, the Japanese were stopped by Croatia in the round of 16 of the tournament in Qatar.
