Arlington, June 15 -- Japan head coach Hajime Moriyasu praised his side's fighting spirit after they twice came from behind to earn a 2-2 draw against the Netherlands in their FIFA World Cup 2026 Group F opener, but admitted the result left him disappointed as the Blue Samurai had targeted all three points.

In an entertaining contest in Arlington, Texas, Japan showed remarkable character to recover from deficits on two occasions, with substitute Koki Ogawa's late equaliser securing a valuable point against one of the tournament favourites.

Despite the dramatic comeback, Moriyasu insisted his team had arrived with ambitions of victory.

"The Netherlands were very strong, we were trailing behind, a very difficult opponent, the players wer...