Kamada's late strike earns Japan a point that rattles the Netherlands

Kamada snatches a point, the Netherlands are rattled

Japan 2–2 Netherlands in the World Cup group opener, and Daichi Kamada's late equalizer has shaken the tournament's sense of order (1) (2) (3) (4). Your team struck twice and walked off with a result nobody in the Dutch camp wanted to talk about.

Dutch coach Ronald Koeman made defensive substitutions that backfired, and the backlash at home is already fierce (3) (4) (8). René van der Gijp went straight at it: "Stop. Let's keep this a fun team and give it three matches" (4).

Koeman's son dragged into the chaos

The substitutions have become a family matter. Ronald Koeman junior, a goalkeeper for Telstar, said he would gladly have been in the dugout, then he might have been able to steer his father a little (8). That is how far the conversation has spilled.

Van Dijk fumes over drink breaks

Netherlands captain Virgil van Dijk used the post-match to criticize the tournament's new drink breaks, a feature of the Japan match that disrupted rhythm on both sides. The Dutch press seized on it alongside the result (1) (2).

Hasselbaink sets the bar: quarter-final or bust

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink told CBS Sports that the Netherlands must reach the quarter-final. The 2–2 draw against Japan, he said, will not be appreciated back home (3).

Sweden up next for the Dutch on Saturday

The Netherlands face Sweden Saturday in their second group match (5) (7). The pressure is already on, and Japan's performance put it there.

Fan reactions

r/soccer drew a sharp contrast between how Ghana's Thomas Partey and Japan's Kaishu Sano are being treated after both were accused of sexual assault ahead of the tournament. The thread questions why one player received far more scrutiny while the other's situation has gone largely unremarked.