'Miraculous draw' Japan cheers: "Fought persistently, a tenacious draw against the Netherlands"

*This content was translated by AI.

After the Japan national soccer team secured a dramatic draw against the Netherlands at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North, Central America and Caribbean, Japanese local media outlets all offered their applause.

Japan (ranked 18th in the FIFA rankings), led by coach Hajime Moriyasu, drew 2-2 with the Netherlands (ranked 8th) in the Group F first match of the tournament held at Dallas Stadium in the United States on the 15th (Korean time).

Japan, who conceded the opening goal to Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool) in the 5th minute of the second half, equalized in the 12th minute with a goal from Keito Nakamura (Reims). Later, Japan conceded another goal to Krijnsen Summerbill (West Ham United) in the 19th minute of the second half and struggled to find an equalizer.

With defeat looming, Japan managed a dramatic draw against the Netherlands when a lucky equalizer occurred in the 43rd minute of the second half during a corner kick situation. Goki Ogawa (NEC Nijmegen)'s header deflected off the head of Daichi Kamada (Crystal Palace) and found the net.

Immediately after the match, Japanese local media outlets all applauded the Japan national team. This was praise for their tenacity in conceding the lead twice against the Netherlands, considered a favorite to win the tournament, yet repeatedly finding the equalizer.

TV Tokyo reported, "The Japan national team fought until the end and secured a valuable point against the tournament favorite, the Netherlands," adding, "This draw will be significant for advancing from the group stage."

Another outlet, Soccer Digest, highlighted, "The Japan national team drew 2-2 with the powerhouse Netherlands after a chaotic match," noting that "a dramatic story unfolded just before the final whistle."

Coco KARA reported, "A tenacious draw created by Moriyasu's Japan," stating, "Japan, evaluated as a dark horse in this tournament, started off well after engaging in a fierce battle with their biggest rival."

D&Search also reported, "When Daichi's equalizer came in the 44th minute of the second half, the Netherlands players stood stunned, while Japanese players and supporters cheered," calling it "a miracle against the powerhouse Netherlands."

Having earned one point from the draw against the Netherlands, Japan will face Tunisia on the 21st and Sweden on the 26th in the group stage's second and third matches. In this tournament, the top two teams from each group, along with the eight best-performing third-placed teams from the 12th groups, will advance to the round of 32 knockout stage.

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*This content was translated by AI.