Netherlands vs. Japan Predictions

• When: Sunday, June 14, 10:00 PM CET
• Where: AT&T Stadium, Arlington, TX, USA

For many, the Netherlands is one of the dark horses that could go all the way. Oranje has a formidable team that has been playing for quite a while and has good chemistry. Meanwhile, Japan enters the World Cup flying high, playing fantastic football. Many say the team from the Far East could be the biggest surprise of the tournament.

Netherlands vs. Japan Preview

Netherlands

Ronald Koeman has a squad packed with elite technical quality, but they carry the historical weight of always being labeled the best nation to never lift the trophy. Even at the peak of its power half a century ago, they couldn’t win the title.

Their most recent loss to Algeria 0-1 was the first failure for Oranje after 10 straight games. During that victorious stretch, the Netherlands has won 7 events and posted 3 ties.

The Dutch approach relies heavily on their modern, fluid defensive line and full-backs who love to bomb forward to overload the flanks. As always, they tend to pressure their rivals and play high-intensity football, no matter the opponent or their style.

Japan

The Samurai Blue head into the World Cup with massive confidence. Japan has 6 straight wins, and may we say that their rivals throughout that span were top-tier nations.

This unit beat Brazil, Ghana, England, and Scotland and is currently on a five-game streak without conceding. Now, that’s something you have to respect and appreciate.

Japan’s strength lies in its tactical patience. They are entirely comfortable playing without the ball for long periods, absorbing pressure in a compact mid-block before exploding into transition. Overall, this team is possibly the quickest and most agile in the tournament, which is why we expect them to get back and wait for a chance on a counter-attack.

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Netherlands and Japan Possible Lineups

Netherlands: Verbruggen; Wieffer, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; De Jong, Gravenberch; Malen, Reijnders, Gakpo; Brobbey

Japan: Suzuki; Seko, Watanabe, Ito; Sugawara, Kamada, Tanaka, Maeda; Suzuki, Sano; Goto

Netherlands vs Japan Head to Head

The two met at the 2010 World Cup, when Oranje beat Japan 1-0 in the group stage. In 2013, it was the last encounter, a friendly international, and there were no winners, 2-2.

Netherlands vs. Japan Predictions

The Netherlands playstyle won’t be suitable for Japan, even though they are fast and agile as stated before. The Dutch team has a mentality that when they press and get near the goal, they frequently shoot from distance and open up their rivals. We expect to see goals in this one, but also, Oranje to win.

Our verdict: Netherlands

Netherlands versus Japan Odds

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