World Cup LIVE – Netherlands draw with Japan

The spoils are shared after 90 minutes. A brilliant game, and in the end neither team deserved to win.

Group F starts with a draw.

JAPAN EQUALISE! A corner in the last minute is headed in by Kamada!

Summerville cuts in from the right and curls a lovely effort past Suzuki! Netherlands regain their lead.

Not long after the Netherlands lead, Japan find the equaliser! Nakamura blasts an effort past Verbruggen from the edge of the box!

Van Dijk heads in a beautifully well directed effort and the Netherlands lead!

Quite an uneventful half, between two very decent sides. No-one has blinked yet.

Kick off in Netherlands v Japan!

Netherlands (4-3-3) Verbruggen; Dumfries, Van Hecke, Van Dijk, Van de Ven; Gravenberch, De Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo.

Subs: Roefs, Flekken, Geertruida, Ake, Wieffer, Hato, De Roon, Kluivert, Til, Q Timber, Koopmeiners, Weghorst, Depay, Lang, Brobbey.

Japan (3-4-2-1) Z Suzuki; Watanabe, Taniguchi, H Ito; Doan, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Kubo, Maeda; Ueda.

Subs: Osako, Hayakawa, Sugawara, Itakura, Nagatomo, Seko, Tomiyasu, J Suzuki, Tanaka, K Ito, Y Suzuki, Machino, Goto, Ogawa, Shiogai.

Now for the 9pm kick off, Netherlands v Japan…

Well to be honest, that was not how Curacao would have wanted that to go. Embarrassed 7-1 in the end.

Havertz bears down on goal before dinking audaciously over the keeper. Lovely goal.

Undav scores a sixth! This one was a tap in, but they all count.

Undav sets up Nathaniel Brown on the volley who delivers a sumptuous finish! It’s getting embarrassing now…

It’s a brilliant through ball from Kimmich but the take and finish from such a tight angle were incredible from Musiala.

Nmecha was brought down in the box and a penalty was given, correctly.

Havertz scores it and it’s 3-1.

A goal for Germany and a goal for Nico Schlotterbeck from a corner. A strong header and the Germans lead again.

WOW! The underdogs are level as Comenencia drills an effort from the edge of the box which goes in after a deflection!

Their first ever goal at a World Cup.

Six minutes in and Felix Nmecha has opened the scoring for Germany. A lovely curled finish from the edge of the box!

The game has started and Germany have begun quickly. Curacao will have their work cut out for them to even get a point here.

Kick off is just minutes away in Houston, Texas as Germany are set to face Curacao!

Germany (4-2-3-1): Neuer; Kimmich, Tah, Schlotterbeck, Brown; Pavlovic, Nmecha; Sane, Musiala, Wirtz; Havertz. Subs: Baumann, Nubel, Rudiger, Anton, Goretzka, Leweling, Woltemade, Gross, Beier, Stiller, Amiri, Raum, Thiaw, Ouedraogo, Undav.

Curaçao (4-2-3-1): Room; Floranus, Bazoer, Obispo, Fonville; Comenencia, Leandro Bacuna; Hansen, Chong Juninho Bacuna; Locadia. Subs: Bodak, Doornbusch, Sambo, Gaari, van Eijma, Roemeratoe, Antonisse, Noslin, Gorre, Martha, Margaritha, Kuwas, Kastaneer, Brenet, Felida.

We have already updated you that Depay is fit, but this is what Koeman said: “Things are looking good. He is an important player. He has been so for a very long time and he is a key part to our possible success in this World Cup. He is important for that.”

A mouth-watering clash awaits later tonight, when the Netherlands take on Japan at 9pm UK time.

Here’s all you need to know ahead of that game: How to watch the Netherlands v Japan, team news, predicted line-ups and more

Germany v Curacao is first up today, kicking off at 6pm in the UK.

Here’s everything you need to know: How to watch Germany v Curacao, team news, predicted line-ups and more