Exciting 2-2 between the Dutch team and Japan in Dallas: football as a brotherhood and a battleground

This is what the 2026 World Cup is all about: the meeting between football countries, not only on the field, but also off it. In downtown Dallas, blue and orange colored the streets, with Japanese and Dutch supporters standing side by side. Despite a brief downpour, both groups of supporters found each other in their passion for the game.

On the field, that connection was converted into sharp football contrasts. While the Dutch team traditionally excels in ball possession and integrated positional play, Japan remains known as one of the most well-groomed teams in the world - with fast combination play, position changes and smart passing. Both countries chose their own approaches, but continued to balance each other out.


The composition of the Dutch selection was special: for the first time in 56 World Cup matches, the Dutch team started without a single player from the Eredivisie. On the Japanese side, two Eredivisie players (Ayase Ueda and Tsuyoshi Watanabe from Feyenoord) were in the starting line-up. In the initial phase, the Netherlands tried to create danger with runs from midfield. Donyell Malen came close to scoring twice. Japan opted for their well-known approach by putting pressure on the Dutch defense with emerging wingbacks. Frenkie de Jong adapted by operating as an extra central defender and thus keeping Van Dijk central.

The goals only came in the second half. Virgil van Dijk scored the 1-0 with a characteristic low header. Japan came back through a deflected shot from Keito Nakamura. Substitute Cyrensio Summerville made the Netherlands 2-1, with his first goal in the Dutch team, replacing the not entirely fit Memphis Depay. Japan showed resilience: substitute Koki Ogawa headed the ball via Daichi Kamada past Bert Verbruggen – 2-2. Both teams ultimately ended up with a point after a riveting match, with differing feelings afterwards.

The press conferences showed the difference in approach. Japanese journalists calmly asked national coach Hajime Moriyasu's view, while the first question to Ronald Koeman was direct and critical: "Do you regret your substitutions?" Koeman was clear: "No, no regrets." Moriyasu took the opportunity to thank Dutch football for its influence on Japan, referring to Dutch coach Hans Ooft who had a major influence on Japanese football development in the early 1990s. This entertaining group match was not only a spectacle, but also a moment of recognition for the bond between the two football nations.

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