Share<\/a><\/p>\n A reminder of the teams<\/p>\n Netherlands (4-3-3) Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo.<\/p>\n Subs: Roefs, Flekken, Geertruida, Ake, Wieffer, Hato, De Roon, Kluivert, Til, Q Timber, Koopmeiners, Weghorst, Depay, Lang, Brobbey.<\/p>\n Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Watanabe, Taniguchi, H Ito; Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Kubo, Maeda; Ueda.<\/p>\n Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Sugawara, Itakura, Nagatomo, Seko, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, Tanaka, K Ito, Y Suzuki, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai.<\/p>\n Referee Ismail Elfath (USA)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cAh, Mogwai,\u201d purrs Matt Dony. \u201cMagnificent. Been reminding myself of their genius recently. Ceiling Granny from 2021\u2019s As The Love Continues is a better Smashing Pumpkins song than anything Billy Corgan has written in the last 20 years.<\/p>\n \u201cSimilarly, in Liverpool\u2019s title season (feels a long time ago), Ryan Gravenberch was a better Claude Makelele than almost any other player has managed in the last 20 years. I hope he can bring that energy, disruptiveness and ball-playing to this tournament.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m hoping the Netherlands<\/a> go far. Mind you, Japan are always a likeable team, too. Argh, I don\u2019t know! Let\u2019s simply hope it\u2019s entertaining!\u201d<\/p>\n May nothing but happiness come through your door.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.53 EDT<\/p>\n \u201c\u2018An entire postcode of imaginary farms\u2019 sounds like a chapter in Cruyff\u2019s autobiography, tbh,\u201d writes James Humphries. \u201cOne of the later ones just before he unretires, I guess.\u201d<\/p>\n You need space to teach people Total Football, mate, and you need an imagination too.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cI was in the middle of writing a witty message on the mathematician who claimed the Dutch would win, only to see that somebody has beaten me to it,\u201d writes Eva Maaten. \u201cOh well. But, I can share with you the reaction of my Dutch husband and half-Dutch daughter which one of slightly amused disbelief \u2013 not much confidence in this Dutch team.\u201d<\/p>\n Let\u2019s accentuate the positive: if this relatively unfancied Netherlands<\/a> side win the World Cup, we\u2019ll know for sure that Joachim Klement\u2019s model is bulletproof. And I\u2019ll own an entire postcode of imaginary farms.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n A couple of DMs to look out for tonight<\/p>\n Donyell Malen<\/a>Daizen Maeda<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Spain, who are going to win the World Cup<\/a> since you asked, get their campaign under way against Cape Verde tomorrow. Sid Lowe\u2019s preview is as readable as ever.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.40 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cAfter seeing that Curacao are as good as the 2014 Brazil side, I am now all set for this mouthwatering contest,\u201d writes Krishnamoorthy V. \u201cWill this be the first goalless draw of the tournament? Or an engaging 2-2 draw? I will settle for anything if someone can recreate the Bergkamp magic just one more time.\u201d<\/p>\n Fun fact: in a world of VAR, Bergkamp would have been suspended for the France 98 quarter-final against Argentina.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.33 EDT<\/p>\n \u201cGerman economist Joachim Klement\u2019s mathematical model has predicted the winner of every World Cup since 2014<\/a>, and this time he\u2019s predicting the Netherlands to beat Portugal in the final,\u201d writes Andrew Goudie. \u201cI\u2019m all for a bit of maths, but in this case I think I\u2019d prefer my predictions done by an octopus.\u201d<\/p>\n That slimy fraud has been winging it for years. And as for Paul the Octopus, etc.<\/p>\n (But seriously, three winners in a row is pretty persuasive. If I had a farm, I\u2019d be tempted to put in on the Netherlands<\/a>.)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.52 EDT<\/p>\n Full time: Germany 7-1 Cura\u00e7ao<\/p>\n For David Narey v Brazil in 1982, read Livano Comencia v Germany in 2026. Don\u2019t poke the thing!<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a015.20 EDT<\/p>\n The New York Knicks\u2019 NBA glory has absolutely nothing to do with the World Cup<\/a> \u2013 but only if you take these things literally. In Manhattan right now, it\u2019s an essential part of the 2026 World Cup story.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n On Haiti v Scotland<\/p>\n double quotation markWilliam MacGregor, 41, from Dumbarton, described the post-goal atmosphere as \u201cbouncing \u2026 Drinks were flying everywhere when the goal went in. Not mine, I kept mine.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cThoroughly looking forwards to this,\u201d says James Humphries. \u201cJapan are great fun every time I watch them and my understanding is that the Dutch aren\u2019t defensively at their best, so could be the game of the tournament so far.<\/p>\n \u201dI hope it\u2019s exciting, anyway, because, I didn\u2019t get to my pit till about half five last night (along with about half the population of Glasgow, given the number of cheery wasters I passed on the way) and then had to get up at ten to go take my daughter swimming; if I was about ten years older, medics would probably describe my current mental state as \u201ca bit confused\u201d, in the sort of tones used to tell family members news that could be worse but still nonetheless isn\u2019t great.<\/p>\n \u201cSo, um, what… what was I talking about, again?\u201d<\/p>\n Cheery wasters? Japan? Something like that.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Share<\/a> The connection between King Lear and the 1966 World Cup<\/a> is little known, mainly because it affected very few people at a now defunct boarding school. I had been a surprise selection to act in the school\u2019s production of Lear (yes, I played the Fool; yes, I was typecast). The day before one of the performances I fell and twisted something and was a doubtful starter for a part that required a lot of dashing about.<\/p>\n Matron prescribed sleeping pills. That night England were playing Mexico in that now-sanctified tournament \u2013 almost a must-win after a goalless start against Uruguay. I went to bed early, tucked my transistor under the pillow to hear the commentary, went spark out and only heard the result next morning: England 2 Mexico 0. The rest is national history.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team news<\/p>\n Ronald Koeman sticks with the same XI that beat Uzbekistan 2-1 in the Netherlands\u2019 final pre-tournament friendly. Memphis Depay, who is fit again, starts on the bench.<\/p>\n Nine of the Japan XI started their victory at Wembley in March. The exceptions are Takefusa Kubo and Celtic\u2019s Daizen Maeda, who come in for Junya Ito and the sadly injured Kaoru Mitoma. The World Cup<\/a> is a whole lot poorer for his absence.<\/p>\n Netherlands (4-3-3) Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo.<\/p>\n Subs: Roefs, Flekken, Geertruida, Ake, Wieffer, Hato, De Roon, Kluivert, Til, Q Timber, Koopmeiners, Weghorst, Depay, Lang, Brobbey.<\/p>\n Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Watanabe, Taniguchi, H Ito; Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Kubo, Maeda; Ueda.<\/p>\n Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Sugawara, Itakura, Nagatomo, Seko, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, Tanaka, K Ito, Y Suzuki, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai. <\/p>\n Referee Ismail Elfath (USA)<\/p>\n Share<\/a> In 2002 there was a sense that Japan had slightly missed an opportunity. South Korea may have enjoyed the benefit of some favourable refereeing, but they also impressed. They were quick, technically good and tactically extremely flexible and they progressed to the semi-final of their home World Cup<\/a>.<\/p>\n Japan did not do much wrong, topping their group before going down 1-0 to Turkey in the last 16, but the contrast with their co-hosts was inevitably underwhelming.<\/p>\n Although Park Ji-sung and Lee Young-pyo earned moves to PSV off the back of South Korea\u2019s performances, and subsequently joined Manchester United and Tottenham respectively, Japan already had four players with European clubs, although one of them, Junichi Inamoto, had briefly returned to Gamba Osaka from his loan at Arsenal before leaving for Fulham. He never played a league game for Ars\u00e8ne Wenger, his next permanent move taking him to West Brom, where he struggled to make an impact.<\/p>\n The poor Japanese journalist whose job it was to cover him became a great figure of sympathy. The final question of each of Bryan Robson\u2019s pre-match press conferences would always be him asking politely about Inamoto\u2019s progress in training \u2013 at least until the moment, after almost two years, when he finally snapped and demanded, with despairing incredulity: \u201cMr Robson, why do you pick Darren Carter?\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Germany are cruising to victory over Curacao in today\u2019s first game. But whatever the score, the match will be remembered for the greatest moment of Livano Comenencia\u2019s career.<\/p>\n double quotation markGOOOOOAAAAAALLLL! Germany 1-1 Curacao (Comenencia 21)<\/p>\n Do not adjust your screen! This is actually happening! And you know what? It\u2019s almost been coming! Again, Curacao attack, slipping a pass into the box, and when the ball breaks to Locadia, he shoots, the effort blocked, but Comenencia arrives on to it, his shot flicks off a Kimmich, the deflection taking it over Neuer\u2019s hands, and CURACAO HAVE LEVELLED IT AGAINST GERMANY! THIS IS WHAT IT\u2019S ALL ABOUT, AND IMAGINE THE SOUTH CARIBBEAN RIGHT ABOUT NOW!<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team guide: Japan<\/p>\n By Takashi Ogami<\/p>\n Japan are no longer at a stage where speaking openly about \u201cwinning the World Cup\u201d invites ridicule. Their historic victories over Germany and Spain in 2022 proved that they are capable of producing much more than just a one-off upset. Over nearly eight years in charge the head coach, Hajime Moriyasu, has built a side capable not merely of surviving against the world\u2019s elite, but of defeating them too. This was backed up by wins against Brazil in October and England \u2013 at Wembley \u2013 in March.<\/p>\n The expected system is a 3-4-2-1, though Japan<\/a> also experimented with a 3-1-4-2 against England, suggesting tactical flexibility depending on the oppostion. Pressing aggressively from the top is important, with players such as Takefusa Kubo, Ritsu Doan, Keito Nakamura and Junya Ito all excellent at putting pressure on opponents.<\/p>\n Hopes are high back home, though, and the former Japan<\/a> coach Akira Nishino, who led the side at the 2018 World Cup in Russia, says of the current squad: \u201cIt\u2019s not about individuals acting like egoists. This group of players fight together and within that unity, individuality emerges. There is a strength in these \u2018Japanised\u2019 individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n This team genuinely believe they can win the World Cup.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Team guide: Netherlands<\/p>\n By Marcel van der Kraan<\/p>\n Has Ronald Koeman ever started a major tournament with more headaches? Probably not. He is known as an exceptionally ambitious perfectionist, which means the preparation for this World Cup<\/a> has been the most troublesome of all his years as the national-team head coach.<\/p>\n Injuries are part and parcel of the game but it becomes a real problem when, in the run-up to a major tournament, around half the starting XI is either ruled out completely or sidelined for months. In the spring Koeman said he would only take players who were fully fit and playing regularly, but that stance became difficult to maintain.<\/p>\n Tottenham\u2019s Xavi Simons suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury<\/a> in April and won\u2019t be back until next year. The PSV midfielder Jerdy Schouten is also recovering from the same injury. Matthijs de Ligt, who has often partnered Virgil van Dijk in central defence, has not regained full fitness after a back problem.<\/p>\n Barcelona\u2019s Frenkie de Jong missed most of the season, Inter\u2019s Denzel Dumfries was out for four months. Manchester City\u2019s Tijjani Reijnders and Nathan Ak\u00e9 were often on the bench while Memphis Depay sustained a serious hamstring injury at the end of his season in Brazil.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Hello, how do you do and welcome to live, minute-by-minute coverage of Netherlands<\/a> v Japan in Texas. This is one of the most enticing games of the group stage, a cruiserweight contest between two teams who are desperate to break new ground at the World Cup.<\/p>\n The Netherlands are probably the best team never to win the World Cup<\/a> and definitely the only team to lose three finals without winning one. Japan are surely the best team never to reach the quarter-finals.<\/p>\n They look in good shape to right that particular wrong. Since completing their qualification campaign a year ago, Japan<\/a> won have nine of their 12 games, including first ever victories over Brazil and England. Now they\u2019re hunting a first win over the Netherlands.<\/p>\n If Japan are the hipster\u2019s choice at this World Cup, then the Netherlands continue to go under the radar. The squad doesn\u2019t have the same stardust as more famous Dutch teams, but their recent record is strong. They lost to the eventual winners Argentina in the quarter-final of the last World Cup and went toe-to-toe with England before losing a dramatic Euro 2024 semi-final.<\/p>\n This is a tricky group, which also includes Sweden and Tunisia, so a draw tonight would be a decent result for Netherlands and Japan. Let\u2019s hope they\u2019re not thinking that way.<\/p>\n Kick off 3pm local\/4pm EDT\/9pm BST.<\/p>\n![\"Matthew](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Matthew_Engel,_L.png\")
Matthew Engel<\/p>\n![\"Jonathan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/Jonathan_Wilson,_L.png\")
Jonathan Wilson<\/p>\n