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Netherlands and Japan Aim to Emerge as World Cup Candidates
🇵🇾 Paraguay /Sports

Netherlands and Japan Aim to Emerge as World Cup Candidates

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • Despite not being top favorites, the Netherlands and Japan aim to prove their World Cup candidacy starting Sunday in Arlington.
  • The Netherlands, seeking their first World Cup title after three runner-up finishes, rely on a practical approach and key players like Virgil Van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong.
  • Japan, with a generation of European-based talent, also harbors ambitions of winning the title, having previously defeated strong teams like Germany and Spain in past tournaments.

The Netherlands and Japan, flying under the radar in the World Cup predictions, are poised to make their case as strong contenders when they meet Sunday in Arlington. Neither team is listed among the top favorites, but both feel they have a significant opportunity to advance.

For the Dutch, the pressure is immense as they aim to win their first World Cup title. Three-time finalists, the Netherlands carries the tag of 'the best team never to win.' While they boast an impressive twelve-game unbeaten streak in regulation time at the World Cup, they have consistently fallen short of the decisive step. Coach Ronald Koeman's squad, though perhaps lacking the flair of past iterations, has adopted a more practical style, qualifying for the tournament undefeated. Their strength lies in a solid defense led by Virgil Van Dijk, supported by midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Cody Gakpo, though the fitness of historical top scorer Memphis Depay remains a concern.

The objective for Japan is to win the title.

— Hajime MoriyasuStating the team's ultimate goal for the tournament.

Japan's ambitions are equally high. Under Hajime Moriyasu, the Samurai Blue have evolved into a competitive force, capable of defeating established footballing nations like Germany and Spain, as they did in Qatar 2022. They have also secured victories against Brazil and England this year. Having participated in every World Cup since 1998 and reaching the Round of 16 four times, Japan's challenge has historically been to translate their group stage success into knockout-round progress. This generation, featuring players like Ayase Ueda and Take Kubo, is considered their strongest yet, with many key players performing in top European leagues.

Both teams have faced setbacks with last-minute player withdrawals due to injury. The Netherlands lost Xavi Simons and Jurrien Timber, while Japan's captain Wataru Endo was recently ruled out. Despite these challenges, both Koeman and Moriyasu have openly stated their ultimate goal: to win the World Cup.

The Netherlands has the weight of being the best team that has never won.

— EFEDescribing the historical pressure on the Dutch national team.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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