Japan came from behind to hold the Netherlands late on in Dallas as substitute Koki Ogawa’s header was deflected in by Daichi Kamada.
The Netherlands had looked set to become early Group F frontrunners at the FIFA World Cup 2026 after Virgil van Dijk scored the opener in the 50th minute. Japan equalised in the 57th minute.
The Orange boys went ahead again in the 64th minute with Crysencio Summerville’s goal.
It took until the 89th minute for Japan to equalise.
“I think we defended well. We went a bit too deep in the end, but obviously, circumstances play a part as well. They didn’t create much, so it’s extra disappointing that we conceded from a set-piece. But that’s the reality, we take the point, and now we focus on Sweden.
“We just have to keep going. It’s a start, and we have to grow into the tournament. Hopefully, there are still many more games to come for us. Because we conceded late on, it doesn’t feel as nice, but we move on,” said van Dijk.
Hajime Moriyasu, Japan’s coach, said he was “disappointed that we failed to win.”
He, however, admitted, “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.”