Impact van Dijk gave the Netherlands the lead in Sunday's 2-2 draw with Japan, arriving at the back post in the second half to power home Ryan Gravenberch's precise delivery with a commanding header, a moment that briefly suggested the Dutch were on course for a winning start to their World Cup campaign. The Liverpool captain led the backline with authority for the majority of the match, winning his aerial duels and organizing the defensive shape, but was part of a collective defensive failure on Daichi Kamada's deflected 89th-minute equalizer that will need addressing ahead of the next group game. His leadership, aerial dominance and ability to carry the ball out of defense remain indispensable to this Dutch side, and tightening the backline on set-pieces will be the priority for Koeman before their next fixture.
5 DAYS AGO • ROTOWIRE
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