Daichi Kamada's late goal gives Japan a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in World Cup opener for both

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By SCHUYLER DIXON

Associated Press

Published: June 14, 2026 astatine 6:10 PM

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Daichi Kamada and his Japanese teammates were minutes distant from a World Cup -opening nonaccomplishment that wouldn't person been unexpected considering the opponent.

His tying extremity volition beryllium remembered for a agelong clip successful his homeland, particularly if the state with immoderate shot momentum reaches the circular of 16 again.

Kamada scored erstwhile a header by teammate Koki Ogawa deflected disconnected his caput into the Dutch extremity successful the 88th minute, sending the Samurai Blue fans into a frenzy and giving Japan a 2-2 gully with the higher-ranked Netherlands connected Sunday.

While the Dutch extended their unbeaten streak to 17 games successful radical play, the orange-clad Oranje supporters were stunned by the precocious extremity that near them with 21 wins, 2 losses and 11 draws successful radical play astatine the World Cup.

“Our players managed to beryllium tenacious but astatine the aforesaid clip beryllium diligent and conscionable support calm and uncovering and seizing an opportunity,” Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu said done an interpreter. His squad reached the circular of 16 for the 4th clip successful 2022 successful Qatar.

Virgil Van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville scored disconnected each station for the Netherlands aboriginal successful the 2nd half, portion Keito Nakamura had a extremity betwixt those arsenic portion of a three-goal flurry successful conscionable 14 minutes.

A mostly uneventful archetypal fractional changed rapidly aft the interruption for a assemblage evenly divided astatine AT&T Stadium, the location of the Dallas Cowboys with the retractable extortion that offered alleviation from the muggy Texas heat, and the elephantine video committee that fans had a hard clip keeping their eyes off.

Summerville gave the eighth-ranked Dutch the pb successful the 64th minute, and Japan was moving retired of anticipation until a Ogawa's perfectly timed header disconnected a country kick. The shot glanced disconnected Kamada's caput and past goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, who got his hands connected it with a sprawling dive but couldn't support it from going in.

Van Dijk sent a header toward the acold station connected the close successful the 50th minute, bending guardant from wrong the punishment country arsenic helium stared astatine the shot earlier it caromed successful for the Dutch captain’s 13th planetary goal.

Nakamura answered 7 minutes aboriginal for 18th-ranked Japan, turning and rifling a changeable past Verbruggen from the near broadside of the arc aft taking a walk from Takefusa Kubo.

Another 7 minutes later, Summerville took a walk from Ryan Gravenberch and sent a left-footed changeable to the acold near station past Zion Suzuki, wherever it caromed successful again.

“It’s disappointing present due to the fact that evidently conceding the pb is ne'er good,” said Van Dijk, the second-oldest Dutch extremity scorer successful a World Cup astatine 34 years, 341 days, down Giovanni van Bronckhorst astatine 35 and 151 against Uruguay successful 2010. “It’s other disappointing that we conceded from a acceptable portion truthful precocious on.”

The Dutch’s astir caller nonaccomplishment earlier the elimination circular came the past clip the World Cup was successful the United States successful 1994, erstwhile a radical play decision was followed by a quarterfinal nonaccomplishment to Brazil astatine the Cotton Bowl successful Dallas.

The unit is ever connected the Netherlands to scope the elimination round, successful portion due to the fact that it's the lone state to scope the last 3 times without winning the World Cup.

A gully to unfastened Group F, which includes Sweden and Tunisia, won't easiness that unit connected manager Ronald Koeman, who faced respective pointed questions astir strategy and changeable backmost with cryptic replies.

The Dutch bushed Japan successful their lone different World Cup gathering successful 2010.

“I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but that’s due to the fact that we were up twice,” Koeman said done an interpreter. “Many radical underestimated Japan, but for the 100,000th time, if you underestimate them, that’s your problem. You deliberation Japan’s spot was overexaggerated earlier the match? Let’s hold until the extremity of the tourney to spot who’s right.”

The Netherlands plays Sweden connected Saturday successful Houston, portion Japan goes to Monterrey, Mexico, to look Tunisia connected Saturday.

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This communicative has been corrected. A erstwhile mentation reported incorrectly that Kamada scored connected a header disconnected Ogawa's country kick.

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AP World Cup: https://apnews.com/hub/fifa-world-cup

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