Japan’s scoreboard trick turns heads after dramatic World Cup draw with the Netherlands

Japan produced one of the most entertaining matches of the 2026 World Cup opening round, drawing 2-2 with the Netherlands overnight between Sunday and Monday in Dallas. Virgil van Dijk put the Dutch ahead early in the second half, Kaito Nakamura equalized quickly, Summerville restored the Netherlands’ lead, and Daichi Kamada rescued Japan with a late goal two minutes before full time to earn a valuable point.

What drew as much attention as the result was Japan coach Hajime Moriyasu’s unusual sideline method. Moriyasu and his staff held up a large whiteboard with huge numbers on it, not tactical instructions, formations, or set-piece ideas, but simply the number of minutes left in the match. During the game, the displayed number changed, and in stoppage time it was updated minute by minute.

The purpose was to make sure every player knew exactly how much time remained, so they could either push forward or stay fully focused in the decisive moments. In hindsight, the approach seemed to work, because Japan kept battling until the final whistle and was rewarded with Kamada’s dramatic equalizer.

The tactic quickly became a talking point on social media and in ITV’s studio. Ange Postecoglou, who coached in Japan from 2018 to 2021, said with a smile, “I assume their time management is very precise,” adding, “I’d just like it to say, ‘Be braver.’” Gary Neville also laughed off the idea, saying he never used such a method at Valencia and joked that when he saw the number six on the board, he thought it meant how many goals they had conceded.