The Netherlands and Japan delivered a thrilling 2-2 draw at Dallas Stadium, home of the Dallas Cowboys, in their World Cup Group F opener. The Netherlands mostly dominated the first half with forwards Donyell Malen and Cody Gakpo getting on the ball often, but couldn’t find the finishing touch against Japan’s five-at-the-back system.

Second-Half Goals Galore

Things then changed entirely in the second half for both sides, where all four goals transpired. Netherlands captain and star center-back Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring in the 50th minute. Off a free kick from the right flank via Ryan Gravenberch, van Dijk did brilliantly to redirect his header toward the bottom right corner.

Japan didn’t trail for long. Just seven minutes later, it was left wingback Keito Nakamura that took a shot with his right foot well that received a slight nick from center-back Jan Paul van Hecke. Then another seven minutes later, the Dutch went back on top. Right-footed right winger Crysencio Summerville cut inside and exquisitely finessed it in with his weaker left foot.

But it was some Dutch substitutions six minutes later that altered the momentum. Summerville and Malen were among two of three players who came off, and the Netherlands attack didn’t have the intensity it did in the opening half. Japan responded with a triple change of its own that did offer more intensity.

Their equalizer in the 89th minute came off a corner kick where 75th-minute entry Koki Ogawa nodded it for Daichi Kamada to head home with pace. Dutch star van Dijk was in the vicinity but couldn’t get a deflection.

Original reporting: NBC4 Los Angeles — read the source article.