TEXAS: A late strike from Daichi Kamada helped Japan escape a strong Netherlands side, securing a point as both sides played out a 2-2 stalemate in front of a passionate Texas crowd in the ongoing FIFA World Cup on Monday.
While it was the Netherlands who took the lead, courtesy of a goal from Virgil Van Dijk in the early minutes of the second half, Nakamura produced a leveller just minutes later.
Crysencio Summerville put the Dutch back in control in the 64th minute. However, in the 88th minute, Kamada spoiled the Netherlands’ party, and both sides now share a point each. The Netherlands dominated the ball possession, with nearly 60 per cent, and both sides fired 10 shots.
The Dutch got six shots on target as compared to Japan’s three. Starting off the match, Japan averted a disaster in the third minute as a play from Cody Gakpo found Donyell Malen, but the latter’s effort was beaten away by the Japanese goalie Zion Suzuki for a corner.
Japan soon earned a free kick, with Nakamura being fouled by Van de Ven, but Daichi Kamada fumbled the chance to score. In the 15th minute, Taniguchi created a chance for Japan, with Jan Paul van Hecke managing a block.
With the ball being kicked around the field to no avail, Tijjani Reijnders’s corner in the 34th minute gave a chance to Malen, but the latter’s header met the goalie and was saved. Japan were putting in work, blocking passes and putting in crosses, but to no avail.
At the end of the half-time, both teams were goalless. Netherlands dominated the ball posession with almost 70 per cent, 14 touches in the opposition’s box as compared to Japan’s seven and five shots as compared to Japan’s three. After the break in the 51st minute, Gakpo managed to win a free kick, but Reijnders failed to beat the defence.
A cross from Ryan Gravenberch went to his Liverpool teammate Virgil Van Dijk, who produced a clinical finish to hand the Netherlands the lead and infused some life into the match.
However, just minutes later in the 57th minute, Nakamura produced an equaliser for Japan, getting fed by Takefusa Kubo, and he fired it past goalie Bart Verbruggen at the near post. The game was well and truly alive now.
Netherlands’ Crysencio Summerville got a yellow card in the 60th minute. But in the 64th minute, Summerville was in the thick of the action, getting the ball from the right side and taking a couple of steps before a powerful strike that crashed into the bottom left of the net, giving the Netherlands the lead.
Just when it seemed that the Netherlands would walk away with their full quota of points, the Netherlands, which had dropped its guard, allowed Japan to secure the equaliser, with Koki Ogawa rising to meet a corner from Ito, which ultimately went to Kamanda courtesy a deflection from Kento Shiogai, and the ball reached the bottom right corner of the net in the 88th minute.
The goal was credited to Kamanda. The scoreline stayed the same despite the added time of six minutes, with both teams getting a point each. (ANI)
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