Japan extend unbeaten run vs European teams to 10 matches

Back in October 2025, Japan stunned the football world with a sensational come-from-behind 3-2 win against mighty Brazil in an international friendly after being 0-2 down at half-time. On Sunday, exactly eight months to the day, the Samurai Blue showed once again that their impressive performances against some of the big names in world football aren’t one-off events with a fighting draw, this time against the Netherlands in Texas.

In the 2022 World Cup held at Qatar, Japan had defeated both Germany and Spain to top Group E and advance to the first knockout round before they suffered familiar heartbreak as they were eliminated at the round-of-16 stage for the fourth time after a penalty shoot-out defeat by Croatia.

Interestingly, the 2-2 draw against the Dutch on Sunday, thanks to Crystal Palace midfielder Daichi Kamada’s goal at the death, extended an incredible record for Japan against European sides. The result marked the 10^th straight match the Asian side has emerged unbeaten, winning eight of those. Their victims have included, besides their 2022 World Cup scalps, Serbia, Croatia, Germany for the second time, Turkiye, Scotland, England and Iceland.

On Sunday, they had to come twice from behind to hold the Oranje, a performance their coach Hajime Moriyasu wasn’t happy with, such is now the expectation from the 18^th ranked side in the world.

"We are not completely satisfied with the draw," said Moriyasu, whose side face Tunisia on Saturday in a competitive-looking Group F that also include table-toppers Sweden.

"But the Netherlands are a top-class team and we tried to compete at the same level.

"We were tenacious but patient and kept calm."

But while all attention was on the players, football fans around the world were also witness to two acts, one typically Japanese and the other, well, probably was as well.

Following the match, the Japanese fans ensured that the Dallas Stadium was free of all litter after their customary clean-up drive, something people have now grown accustomed to seeing. But what really caught the eye was how the coach communicated with the players during the match.

In what has now become a viral moment, Moriyasu was seen holding up a whiteboard with numbers clearly written on it, allowing him to communicate his pre-planned strategy with his players. An old-school coach, the 57-year-old, who prefers to take notes in his small notebook during training and matches, will be aware of the importance of winning the next match against Tunisia if they are to progress from Group F. But then, he will also have the advantage of seeing the outcome of the Netherlands-Sweden game before taking the field.