ARLINGTON, Texas - Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu praised his team’s tenacity after they twice fought back to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands, but made no secret of his dissatisfaction with the result.
“The Netherlands were very strong, a very difficult opponent,” Moriyasu said. “The players were united as one, tenacious, they fought to the end. Of course, we’re not completely satisfied with just the one point.”
The match erupted in the second half. Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk broke the deadlock with a header, but Keito Nakamura leveled with a fierce low strike. Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands' lead with a brilliant finish, only for substitute Koki Ogawa to equalize with a clever header two minutes from time.
Moriyasu insisted a draw was never the objective. “We were aiming to get three points, not one point. So in that point of view, of course it was a little bit disappointing,” he said, while expressing pride in his team’s calmness and ability to seize critical opportunities.
Japan will face Tunisia in Monterrey on June 20 in their next Group F fixture.