ARLINGTON, TX — The Netherlands entered the 2026 World Cup confident in its defense.. There are holes in Ronald Koeman’s team. That’s the nature of the international game. But the back line anchored by Virgil van Dijk, with Denzel Dumfries shooting forward on one side and Micky van de Ven on the other is the strength of the team.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. It may still be, but conceding twice in a 2-2 draw with Japan that saw the Oranje take, then lose a lead on two occasions left a bad taste in the mouth of the Dutch defenders and raised concerns about whether this team truly can contend to lift the trophy.. 1 / 21. 1930- Uruguay defeats Argentina 4-2 in the first World Cup event held in Uruguay.. (AFP via Getty Images). While Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen said the responsibility for defending goes far beyond him, van Dijk or even any one unit on the field, he was frustrated at the way the team conceded Sunday, June 14.. “As a team, we take pride in defending. We take pride in clean sheets,” Verbruggen told USA TODAY Sports after the match. “So, that’s why it’s disappointing that today we couldn’t do that. But obviously, yes, we have a very strong defensive structure, but that’s not only the defensive line. That’s the midfield and the attack as well. We defend as a unit, and we attack as a unit. It’s something that we are good at, something that we definitely need in this tournament.”. It’s something that they need to show more of. While many in the foreign press have the Dutch down as a team that will make a deep run in the tournament, the Dutch press seems far less certain they’ll be booking hotels in the U.S. late in July.. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. At times against Japan, it was clear why.. The game flowed back and forth, making for a great watch for neutrals — especially as some criticize the quality of matches in this World Cup. It was not, however, ideal for the Netherlands.. Daichi Kamada’s 88th-minute header took a deflection before beating Verbruggen, but he was able to soar and meet the corner kick without any obstruction from a Dutch defender.. “It’s disappointing now because conceding late is never good,” Van Dijk said. “We didn’t concede many chances, so we kept it tight, which makes it extra disappointing we conceded from a set piece so late on.”. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. The Asian squad also had the best two opportunities of a tight first half, as both teams felt the other out and worked to keep their structure.. That said, it wasn’t a horrendous defensive performance from the Netherlands. Japan’s first goal was well-defended, but saw Verbruggen screened as Keito Nakamura fired his shot from outside the box.. “It was a tough game. Japan is a very disciplined team with every player knowing their role, so it was really tough for us to break through their defense,” left back Van de Ven said. “Two times we went up, so obviously at the end of the game we just wanted the three points and concede at minute 88 on a set piece. I think that’s not allowed, especially with the players we have. We need to analyze this.”. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. The analysis will focus on the details the Dutch got wrong that allowed Japan to twice rally in the game, but it also will include film study on a Sweden team that flexed its attacking muscle Sunday night, putting five goals past Tunisia in a result that leaves the Scandinavians on top of the group with a luscious goal difference, too.. Yet, perhaps the video session doesn’t need to go that deep. Koeman said in the lead up to this match that he knew what went wrong in the team’s pre-tournament friendly matches and was confident he knew how to fix it. The way to correct Sunday’s slip-ups might be clear.. “First of all we should try not to concede two goals,” Verbruggen deadpanned. “Even though I think we defended very well, I don’t think they got a lot of clear chances. And still we conceded two, which is disappointing.. “We were strong in possession. We were good. We were patient. We were clean. And I think that’s something we can build on.”. Advertisement. Advertisement. Advertisement. Indeed, the breakout goal from Crysencio Summerville will alleviate some of the concerns had about the team up front, and Donyell Malen was active early as the central forward (Memphis Depay less so in his 20-minute cameo).. But the worry might now shift, not to whether the individual quality of the Dutch defense is good enough, but rather if the collective comes together well enough to be as efficient as it needs to if the attackers do go silent.. The Netherlands was confident in one unit heading into the tournament. After the opener, that confidence might already begin to waver.. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: World Cup draw to Japan should concern the Netherlands