There¡¯s an ancient Japanese proverb that goes, ¡°The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists.¡± The Japanese national team epitomized this aphorism on Sunday when, in the wake of a mounting injury crisis, it pulled off yet another impressive result against one of the best teams in world soccer, holding the Netherlands to a 2-2 draw in Arlington, Texas.
The Samurai Blue lost two of its biggest attacking threats in the final weeks before the tournament, with Kaoru Mitoma suffering a severe hamstring issue and Takumi Minamino missing out due to lingering fitness problems. And to make matters worse, captain Wataru Endo was forced to withdraw from the squad on account of a left foot injury before announcing his international retirement.
For just about any other team, losing three integral figures might have been cause for panic. But for Japan, it was business as usual. Over the first 45 minutes in the Dallas suburbs, Japan kept things tight at the back and peppered the Dutch with a flurry of attacks.
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