ARLINGTON – Japan twice came back from a goal down to secure a 2-2 World Cup draw with the Netherlands on Sunday as Daichi Kamada’s 88th-minute deflection earned Hajime Moriyasu’s side a point in the Group F clash at Dallas Stadium.
The game came to life after a tense opening 45 minutes, with Virgil van Dijk giving the Dutch the lead with a pinpoint header in the 51st minute before Keito Nakamura levelled six minutes later.
But while Crysencio Summerville looked to have won all three points for Ronald Koeman’s side with a curling strike in the 64th minute, Japan levelled when Kamada deflected Koki Ogawa’s powerful header into the net.
A relatively uneventful first half started promisingly for the Dutch when Donyell Malen forced Zion Suzuki into action, the Japan goalkeeper palming the ball over the bar in the third minute.
That early warning jolted the Japanese into taking control of possession, a move that limited openings for both sides.
Hiroki Ito’s defensive work denied Malen in the 34th minute and, from the resulting Tijjani Reijnders corner, Suzuki kept out the forward’s header before Shogo Taniguchi hacked clear.
With two minutes left in the half, Nakamura almost put Japan in front, pulling his shot wide of Bart Verbruggen’s right post having been found by Ritsu Doan’s searching cross.
Moments later Ayase Ueda hit the side netting while Suzuki gathered another Malen header in stoppage time.
The Netherlands made a bright start to the second half and that was rewarded six minutes after the resumption when Van Dijk struck.
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.
Within seven minutes the Japanese were level.
Takefusa Kubo’s cutback from the byline found Nakamura lurking in the area and, after a couple of touches to control, the winger drove his deflected shot into the bottom corner.
Parity was to last 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, with two minutes remaining, their efforts paid off.
Substitute 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.
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