NetherlandsvsJapan

Result

Japan twice came from behind to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands at a roofed Dallas Stadium, snatching a point through Daichi Kamada's 88th-minute header. Virgil van Dijk had nodded the Dutch ahead just after the break from Ryan Gravenberch's cross, only for Keito Nakamura to level within six minutes with a low, deflected strike. Crysencio Summerville curled Oranje back in front on the hour, but substitute Koki Ogawa rose to flick on Junya Ito's late corner and Kamada bundled in the equaliser. The Netherlands had 60% of the ball and the better of the first hour without putting the game away, and Japan's persistence earned a point that did their tournament form justice.

Netherlands 4-3-33-4-2-1 Japan

Netherlands

Japan

Virgil van Dijk50'

Keito Nakamura57'

Crysencio Summerville64'

Daichi Kamada88'

Crysencio Summerville61'

Memphis Depay83'

Micky van de Ven90'+1'

60%Possession40%

10Shots10

6On target3

1Saves4

5Corners4

462Passes completed295

88%Pass accuracy83%

11Tackles11

33Touches in box19

Substitutions

Depayfor Malenat 70'

J. Itofor Maedaat 66'

Koopmeinersfor Summervilleat 70'

Sugawarafor Doanat 75'

Timberfor Reijndersat 70'

Tomiyasufor Watanabeat 75'

Akéfor Gravenberchat 81'

Ogawafor Kuboat 75'

Brobbeyfor Gakpoat 85'

Shiogaifor Uedaat 84'

At this Stage

One round of Group F has produced a leader with margin and a tie nobody can split. Sweden top the table on three points and +4 after putting five past Tunisia in Monterrey; Japan and the Netherlands sit a point each with records identical to the last digit — two scored, two conceded apiece from their 2-2 in Arlington. Daichi Kamada's 88th-minute header salvaged the point Japan's six-match winning run probably deserved, and it stretched the Dutch habit of never losing World Cup group games — alive since 1994 — without making it feel like progress. Tunisia sit bottom at -4, already in repair mode. The early read: Sweden banked the round's only easy points, and the group's two fancied sides spent theirs on each other.

Group F

Team	P	W	D	L	GD	Pts
Sweden	1	1	0	0	+4	3
Japan	1	0	1	0	+0	1
Netherlands	1	0	1	0	+0	1
Tunisia	1	0	0	1	-4	0

Top two (above the accent line) advance to the round of 32; the third-placed team is in the race for one of the eight best-third spots.

What we know now

What I said beforehand

The preview, frozen at kickoff. Clearly dated, never rewritten — that's the deal that makes the predictions worth anything.

Netherlands, but this is the toughest of the locked picks — and Japan may be the form team in the group. Samurai Blue arrive on six straight wins, having beaten Brazil and England, even without the retired Endo and injured Mitoma. The Netherlands are missing De Ligt, Xavi Simons and Jerdy Schouten and may be without keeper Verbruggen, yet Van Dijk anchors and Gakpo and Depay carry the threat. Oranje by a goal, 2–1, in a game that could just as easily finish level.

Both cases written 2026-06-13, before kickoff — they freeze into the record exactly as written, however the match goes. The percentages are mine, quoted to a decimal because false precision is funnier — the unclaimed 31% belongs to the draw.