Competition
Japan secured a valuable point in Arlington
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The Daruma doll is a classic Japanese charm representing good fortune and perseverance, modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. Recognized for its weighted, rounded base, it always returns to an upright position when you attempt to knock it over.
It is exactly this resilient spirit that captures the Japanese proverb nanakorobi yaoki — "fall down seven times, get up eight." Because genuine success isn't about accumulating wins and avoiding failure: it's about brushing yourself off and getting back on your feet.
In that regard, the Japan national team that took the field on Sunday afternoon in Arlington, TX was less a collection of players and more a group of Daruma dolls. No matter how often you attempted to topple them, they managed to recover and stand tall, prepared for whatever obstacle came their way.
Japan and the Netherlands delivered a thrilling contest in Texas
The buildup to the 2026 World Cup brought turbulent conditions for Japan, with star forwards Takumi Minamino and Kaoru Mitoma missing the tournament due to injuries. And to compound the misfortune, Japan captain Wataru Endo withdrew with a foot issue and declared his international retirement.
Still, all indications pointed to this being an exciting clash between the Netherlands (#8 in the FIFA rankings) and Japan (#18). It lived up to expectations, offering arguably the most thrilling match of the World Cup so far and keeping every one of the 69,285 spectators on the edge of their seats.
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DALLAS = ORANJE! 🧡🫨#NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup #NEDJPN pic.twitter.com/aOTk88cwNu June 14, 2026
DALLAS = ORANJE! 🧡🫨#NothingLikeOranje #FIFAWorldCup #NEDJPN pic.twitter.com/aOTk88cwNu June 14, 2026
Donyell Malen produced the first hint of danger, holding up the ball before skillfully turning and stinging Zion Suzuki's palms with a fierce shot. The Oranje continued to press for the opening goal, with Suzuki keeping out a close-range header from Jan Paul van Hecke.
Following a cautious first half, the match began to open up as Ryan Gravenberch delivered a tempting cross to Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk, who headed home. Japan responded immediately, with Keito Nakamura taking aim on his weaker right foot and firing a shot that slipped past Bart Verbruggen at his near post.
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Gravenberch would add to his assist tally shortly after, passing it off to Crysencio Summerville at the top-right corner of the box. The West Ham winger executed his shot perfectly, cutting onto his left before launching a rocket into the bottom left corner.
It appeared that Japan's effort was exhausted, especially with creative talisman Takefusa Kubo leaving the pitch in the 75th minute after sustaining a knock. The Dutch almost doubled their lead, with Cody Gakpo firing a low, driven shot to the near post and forcing a solid save from Suzuki.
But much like the Daruma doll, Japan kept rising again, with their inverted wingers and adventurous wingbacks causing plenty of problems for the Oranje. This was worsened by Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman, who made the error of closing up shop with overly defensive substitutions like Teun Koopmeiners for Summerville and Nathan Aké for Gravenberch.
If Japan were the weaker side on paper, they certainly didn't perform like it. And in the 89th minute, their persistence finally paid off as substitute Koki Ogawa delivered a corner kick for Daichi Kamada to head home, securing a well-earned point for the Samurai Blue.
"[Japan] managed to be tenacious and at the same time be patient and keep calm and find and seize the opportunities," stated Japan manager Hajime Moriyasu after the match. "I'm very proud that they could keep their own pace, but we were aiming to get three points, not one point. So in that sense, of course it was a little bit disappointing."
Japan will aim to secure their first victory of the tournament against Tunisia in Monterey, Mexico, before returning to Arlington to face Sweden. As for the Netherlands, they'll seek to knock Group F leaders Sweden off their pedestal in Houston before meeting Tunisia in Kansas City.
After getting his big breakthrough as the co-founder of the football analytics website Breaking The Lines, Zachary Lowy has been able to tap into his footballing expertise for a number of esteemed outlets like ESPN, FotMob, The Times, The Independent and Urban Pitch. Since joining FourFourTwo as a freelancer in 2025, Lowy has been able to cover a wide range of topics from analyzing the sweeping changes to the MLS season to interviewing key figures like Asamoah Gyan and Rob Holding. Fluent in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian, Lowy’s versatile skillset has allowed him to traverse a number of different fields when covering major competitions like the FIFA Club World Cup. In addition to football, he is also a seasoned participant of other sports like pickleball, tennis, and volleyball.
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