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Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman stood by his tactical decisions and substitutions after Japan struck late to earn a 2-2 draw in their opening Group F match of the FIFA World Cup 2026 on Sunday (Local Time).
The Dutch looked on course for all three points after captain Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville twice put their side ahead, while Keito Nakamura had earlier levelled for Japan. However, a deflected effort from Daichi Kamada two minutes from time rescued a point for the Blue Samurai. Koeman came under scrutiny after making a triple substitution six minutes after Summerville restored the Netherlands' lead in the 64th minute. The Dutch manager later reinforced his defence by introducing a third centre-back, but Japan responded strongly and eventually found an equaliser after sustained pressure. Despite the outcome, Koeman refused to second-guess his decisions. "There was also a problem with pressure on the flanks. So if you look at the game, both goals, well, we didn't defend well," he told reporters after the match, according to Reuters. "Football is a funny game because, after Japan scored the second goal, they started defending as well. So we could have scored a third goal. So I don't regret my choices," he added. Japan's late leveller came after a dangerous header was directed goalward before Kamada's effort took a decisive deflection on its way into the net, denying the Netherlands victory in a match they had expected to win. Koeman also introduced the Netherlands' all-time leading scorer, Memphis Depay, from the bench in the second half after declaring him fit following a recent thigh problem. Depay replaced Donyell Malen but was unable to influence the result and picked up a yellow card. The Dutch coach acknowledged that his side fell short of expectations and insisted there is room for improvement as the tournament progresses. "Of course, we can perform better, and we need to grow during the tournament. This definitely was not our best performance. Of course, we would have preferred to win the first game. We expected to," he concluded. Koeman also suggested Japan had not received enough respect heading into the contest, describing the Netherlands' display as being only at a "minimal standard" against a determined opponent. The 2022 World Cup quarter-finalists will now turn their attention to a crucial Group F clash against Sweden in Houston, while Japan take confidence from a spirited comeback that earned them a valuable point in their tournament opener. (ANI)
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