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The Dutch coach appreciates the strength of the samurai
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman refused to make excuses after the Windmills were held to a 2-2 draw by Japan in the first round of Group F at the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the early hours of Monday.
The Dutch team took the lead twiceBut the Japanese samurai came back and grabbed the fatal score in the 88th minute.
“At the end of the game I felt more frustrated. To go ahead twice and then draw is disappointing. But in the end, calm down, I accept the draw in sportsmanship.”
He added, according to the Foot Mercato website. “I think Japan is a great team that can win big matches, but we were the best. I even felt they were afraid of us for a big part of the game.”
He continued. “You can’t control everything during the match. I wanted to win, it calms the team down. But Japan is a great team. Everything is fine. We can go on. Now it’s time to make amends against Sweden this week.”
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Joining Holland and Japan in Group F are Tunisia and Sweden, who will play later on Monday morning.
