The 2026 World Cup is now in full swing, with most countries already having played their opening games. One of the most intriguing openers was the Group F encounter between the Netherlands and Japan, which ended 2-2.
The gap has closed between the two teams
In past periods, Japan picking up a result against the Netherlands would have been a massive result. However, in recent years, the gap between the two teams in terms of quality has closed.
For comparison, at the start of the World Cup, the Netherlands were eighth-place in the world rankings, with Japan 16th, which is not a massive gap in real terms.
Japan pulled off two massive victories at the 2022 World Cup by beating European giants Spain and Germany. The wins illustrated that the Asian team can compete at the top-level of the game.
The Group F opener was a balanced affair
In truth, the Netherlands and Japan produced a very balanced encounter, even though the Oranje had 60 per cent possession. Twice, the Dutch took the lead, through Crysencio Summerville and Virgil van Dijk.
However, Japan were not to be beaten, as they equalised first through Keito Nakamura, and scored a dramatic equaliser through Daichi Kamada in the 89th minute. It’s hard to claim that the Blue Samurai didn’t deserve the draw.
Japan achieved a draw despite an injury crisis
In recent years, Japan’s squad has grown stronger, with many of its players playing in top European leagues. However, they headed into the tournament without Brighton star Kaoru Mitoma, who is recovering from a hamstring injury.
However, he was not the only key player missing. The Monaco attacking midfielder Takumi Minamino was also ruled out of the tournament due to an ACL injury.
Things got even worse for Japan when experienced midfielder Wataru Endo was ruled out through injury on the eve of the tournament.
Then, to add insult to injury, literally, one of their most talented attacking midfielders, Takefusa Kubo, had to leave the pitch against the Netherlands due to a knee issue.
The fact that Japan remained competitive against the Oranje despite all their injury issues shows that the Blue Samurai will be serious opponents for every opponent they face this summer.