Daichi Kamada's late touch gave Japan a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in a 2026 FIFA World Cup group-stage match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, after Japan twice came from behind.
ESPN's event summary verified the match as full time, with the Netherlands and Japan each taking one point from the opener in front of 69,285 spectators.
Kamada Completes Japan's Second Comeback
The Netherlands looked set for the win after Crysencio Summerville made it 2-1 in the 64th minute, cutting in from the right and scoring off the post beyond Japan goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Japan pushed on after falling behind for the second time. ESPN reported that coach Hajime Moriyasu used all five substitutes, and the equalizer came from one of them: Koki Ogawa rose to meet Junya Ito's corner, and his header took a final touch off Kamada before going in.
Van Dijk And Nakamura Trade Early Second-Half Goals
The first half produced little, but the match opened up quickly after the break. Virgil van Dijk put the Netherlands ahead in the 51st minute, heading in from Ryan Gravenberch's cross.
Japan answered six minutes later. Takefusa Kubo found Keito Nakamura, who moved outside the area and struck low into the net with the help of a ricochet off Jan Paul van Hecke.
The Netherlands had more of the ball, with ESPN's event data listing them at 59.8% possession. Japan still found enough direct moments to punish both Dutch leads.
One Point Each In Arlington
Suzuki was credited with four saves for Japan, while Bart Verbruggen had one for the Netherlands. Ismail Elfath was listed as the referee.
The draw leaves both teams with a point from a match that turned on second-half finishing and Japan's bench response. For the Netherlands, the frustration is plain enough: they led twice and still left Arlington level.