Japan twice got here from behind to attract 2-2 with the Netherlands in what proved to be an enthralling World Cup encounter in Group F in Dallas.
After a reasonably cagey first half between arguably the best nation by no means to win soccer’s greatest prize and a facet many fancy as darkish horses this summer time, Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring 5 minutes after the break, just for Japan to attract degree by means of Nakamura.
Crysencio Summerville restored the Dutch benefit shortly after, just for the Asian giants to once more sq. issues up in stoppage time courtesy of Daichi Kamada.
The sport, which had been lauded as one essentially the most eye-catching of the match up to now, in the end lived as much as that billing, producing one of the entertaining matches up to now this summer time.
An intriguing encounter
Oranje had been hoping to start their match brightly, having fallen on the quarter-final stage in opposition to eventual winners Argentina 4 years in the past.
They usually appeared on the entrance foot from the off. An incisive transfer contained in the opening 5 minutes noticed the ball attain the toes of the in-form Donyell Malen simply contained in the field. The ahead took a contact to discover a yard of area earlier than lashing a fierce drive that Zion Suzuki did nicely to palm over.
With the Dutch largely dominating possession, Suzuki needed to be available to disclaim Malen once more, this time from a point-blank header from a nook.
Cody Gakpo then blasted over at full stretch from a number of yards out earlier than Nakamura had Japan’s clearest sight of aim of the half, however the wing-back dragged his effort huge.
Contest involves life
After a closely-fought first 45, it took simply over 5 minutes within the second for the impasse to be damaged. From a cross, captain Van Dijk expertly directed his header again throughout aim, the ball nestling into the again of the web through the within of the publish.
However barely six minutes later, Japan had been degree. Following a neat transfer down their left facet, Nakamura made no mistake together with his second effort, ending in type to cancel out the Dutch’s lead.
With the sport starting opening up, it was then the flip of the Netherlands to hit again. They usually did so emphatically by means of Summerville, the winger curling a effective effort into the far nook to revive the Dutch lead with simply over 25 minutes remaining.
Takefusa Kubo then noticed a strike fizz narrowly over the bar earlier than Yukinari Sugawara shot straight into the gloves of Bart Verbruggen.
Japan continued to probe for an equaliser and had been rewarded for his or her efforts in added time when substitute Koki Ogawa’s header flicked off Kamada from a nook, leaving Verbruggen to palm the ball into the roof of the web and ship the Samurai Blue into raptures.
