Japan refused to let the night slip from their grasp. As the clock ticked toward defeat and the Netherlands edged closer to victory, the Samurai Blue summoned one final surge of belief.
A corner in the 89th minute was met with a towering header from substitute Koki Ogawa, only to ricochet off the unsuspecting head of Daichi Kamada and loop gloriously beyond the diving Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. In an instant, despair turned to delirium as Japan's fans erupted in celebration, their team snatching a pulsating late equaliser.
The goal encapsulated the never-say-die spirit of Japan's football — securing a thrilling 2-2 draw against the Dutch in one of the most dazzling spectacles of the World Cup so far.
Over 6,500 miles away from Dallas, images coming in from Tokyo's iconic Shibuya crossing showed thousands of jubilant fans transforming an overcast early morning into a sea of colour. Twirling beneath the cloudy skies, the blue and white jerseys created a dazzling mosaic of frenzy as they waved the country's flags in delight at this rousing comeback.
Bulk of the credit for Japan's dramatic late goal should also go to head coach Hajime Moriyasu and his inventive touchline management. His quiet influence is also the reason many have tipped Asia's best team to go far this time.
As the match entered the closing stages, Moriyasu and his staff held up a series of boards displaying numbers, to show the players the tactical switches. This coded method kept the instructions hidden, while bewildering opponents.
"We were trailing behind a difficult opponent. The players were united, tenacious, and did not cease to persevere," Moriyasu said later.
Japan were without their captain Wataru Endo, who retired after failing to recover in time from a foot injury. Consequently, Moriyasu tweaked his midfield, deploying Ao Tanaka and Kamada to press, with wing-back Keito Nakamura providing the burst of energy.
Japan's ability to innovate and compete are a product of how successfully its football culture has embraced the world. Today, a Japanese team is shaped as much in Dusseldorf, Brighton and Liverpool, as it is in Tokyo and Yokohama.
Takefusa Kubo, dubbed the "Japanese Messi", crisscrossed borders before adulthood, embodies the new generation comfortably operating between cultures. The most symbolic figure is Kamada, who honed his skills in Japan's youth system, before joining Lazio. In 2024, he joined Premier League team Crystal Palace, helping them win the FA Cup.
Japanese footballers are the posterboys of globalisation in sport, but they are yet to progress beyond the last 16 of a World Cup. Moriyasu, Japan's coach since 2018, terms it a "mental block." The Samurai Blue would do well to build on Sunday's stirring comeback against the Netherlands to break into the final four.
