Japan drew 2-2 with the Netherlands in their opening World Cup Group F match thanks to a goal by Daichi Kamada in the 89th minute.
After curving the ball superbly into the far corner with his left foot, Crysencio Summerville appeared to have won, but there was a twist in the story at Arlington in a match that truly came to life in the second half after a lackluster first forty-five minutes.
Soon after halftime, Virgil van Dijk put Ronald Koeman’s team ahead with a cross from Ryan Gravenberch, but within seven minutes, Keito Nakamura tied the score with a shot that bounced off Jan Paul van Hecke’s foot and past Bart Verbruggen.
Summerville, who had just made his debut for his country earlier this month, seemed poised to win, but Verbruggen could only parry into his own net when Kento Shiogai’s header deflected off Kamada. The Brighton custodian ought to have performed better.
In a fun game that both sides will try to learn from, the same could be said of the two teams. Could Japan have been more optimistic right from the start? Should the Netherlands have used their advantage more forcefully? Both will anticipate progress.
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