Last Word on Football brings you the latest team news and the confirmed lineups for Netherlands vs Japan at the Dallas Stadium in Texas, in a 21:00 GMT kick-off on June 14. Both teams will be looking to start the competition with three points, with Brazil the pre-game favourites.
Netherlands vs Japan, Team News and Confirmed Lineups
Netherlands Team News
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Despite being a concern after the friendly against Uzbekistan, Bart Verbruggen is expected to start in between the sticks. The Brighton Keeper is coming off the back of another strong campaign for European chasers Brighton.
Furthermore, Jurrien Timber was also a doubt, though he was withdrawn from the squad. He picked up a groin injury and leaves Real Madrid-bound Denzel Dumfries as the starting right-back.
In terms of attacking options, Donyell Marlen, who ended the season in a rich vein of form, seems to be set to start. Memphis Depay didn’t start any of the warm-up friendlies, which perhaps shows Ronald Koeman prefers Malen.
Japan Team News
Meanwhile, Japan have also had their issues in the lead up to the game. Major news dropped after Captain Wataru Endo withdrew from the squad and subsequently retired from international football. It was a foot injury that triggered this chain of events, as Ko Itakura became captain and Shuto Machino joined the squad.
In the warm-up game against Iceland, Japan came out 1-0 victors, courtesy of a goal by Koki Ogawa. The goalscorer came off the bench for the second half, with plenty of rotation throughout. The likes of Takefusa Kubo, Ao Tanaka and Takehiro Tomiyasu were all present and have become players more than comfortable in Europe’s top five leagues.
Aside from this situation, Hajime Moriyasu is expecting a tough encounter for his side. “We have to survive this stage no matter what, but at the same time I see that it is a very tough group,” he said. The Netherlands’ top talent will, of course, be a threat, but this side has already shown they can cause an upset. They beat Spain and Germany at the last World Cup, whilst picking up more recent wins against England and Brazil. With more and more talent shining across Europe, will this be their year to progress out of the groups and win that elusive knockout round game?
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Netherlands Confirmed Lineup
This section will be updated once the lineup is confirmed.
Japan Confirmed Lineup
This section will be updated once the lineup is confirmed.
Featured Image Credit:
IMAGO / NurPhoto
