Group F’s 2026 World Cup encounter between the Netherlands and Japan delivered a dramatic late twist at Dallas’s AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on Saturday, as a 89th-minute header from Koki Ogawa rescued a 2-2 draw for Japan after the Netherlands had twice held the lead in the second half. Officiated by American referee Ismail Elfath, the match opened with a remarkably cagey first 45 minutes that offered little of the excitement fans expect from a World Cup group stage fixture.
The Netherlands controlled the majority of possession in the opening half, but the side struggled to break down Japan’s organized defensive block, with play proceeding cautiously for long stretches. The first clear chance of the game came as early as the third minute, when Donyell Malen turned sharply away from his marker to get a shot away, only for Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki to make the save. Japan did not cede ground entirely, posing periodic threats on the counter and advancing into the Dutch penalty area on multiple occasions to keep the contest evenly balanced in its opening phase.
By the middle of the first half, the Netherlands had pinned Japan back in their own half, but their sustained possession failed to translate into dangerous scoring opportunities. Malen came close to breaking the deadlock again in the 33rd minute, this time with a headed effort that was again turned away by a sharp stop from Suzuki. The Dutch continued to dominate territory for the rest of the half, but their movement in the final third lacked cutting edge. Late in the half, both sides created half-chances to open the scoring, but poor finishing from attackers on both ends left the scoreline goalless when the teams headed into the locker room for halftime.
The sluggish tempo of the first half gave way to a far more eventful second 45 minutes, with the first goal arriving just six minutes after the restart. Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk rose highest to connect with a cross from Ryan Gravenberch, nodding the ball into the back of the net to put the Netherlands 1-0 up. The Dutch celebration was short-lived, however: just six minutes later, Japan’s Keito Nakamura fired a powerful strike from outside the penalty area that beat Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen to level the score at 1-1.
Undeterred by the equalizer, the Netherlands retook the lead just moments later, as Crysencio Summerville converted another assist from Gravenberch to put Oranje up 2-1. Shortly after the goal, Japan’s Takefusa Kubo came inches from drawing his side level again, sending his effort just over the crossbar. At the other end, Cody Gakpo had a chance to extend the Dutch lead, but Suzuki produced a last-gasp save to deny him and keep the score within one goal. Following the second Dutch goal, Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman made a tactical substitution, replacing Gravenberch with defender Nathan Ake to shore up his side’s defense and protect the one-goal advantage.
Japan pushed hard for an equalizer in the final 15 minutes of regulation, creating a string of half-chances as they threw players forward in search of a late point. Their pressure finally paid off in the 89th minute, when Ogawa got in front of van Dijk to meet a Japan corner kick, heading the ball past Verbruggen to level the score at 2-2. The late goal held up through stoppage time, securing a valuable point for Japan in their opening group stage fixture, while the Netherlands were forced to settle for a share of the points after twice leading the match.