World Cup game recap

Japan and Netherlands battle to 2-2 draw in FIFA World Cup opener in Dallas

Netherlands v Japan: Group F - FIFA World Cup 2026

Japan and The Netherlands battled it out at Dallas Stadium in their FIFA World Cup opener June 14.

Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Daichi Kamada scored on a header off Koki Ogawa's corner kick in the 88th minute, sending the Samurai Blue fans into a frenzy and giving Japan a 2-2 draw with the Netherlands in their World Cup opener on Sunday.

While the Dutch extended their unbeaten streak to 16 games in group play, the orange-clad Oranje supporters were stunned by the late goal that left them at 21-2-11 in group play at the World Cup.

Virgil Van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville scored off each post for the Netherlands early in the second half, while Keito Nakamura had a goal between those as part of a three-goal flurry in just 14 minutes.

An uneventful first half changed quickly after the break for a crowd evenly split at AT&T Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys with the retractable roof that offered relief from the muggy Texas heat, and the giant video board that fans had a hard time keeping their eyes off.

Summerville gave the eighth-ranked Dutch the lead in the 64th minute, and Japan was running out of hope when Ogawa sent the corner that Kamada timed perfectly. The ball deflected slightly again on its way toward Bart Verbruggen, who got his hands on it with a sprawling dive but couldn't keep it from going in.

Van Dijk sent a header toward the far post on the right in the 50th minute, bending forward from inside the penalty area as he stared at the ball before it caromed in for the Dutch captain’s 13th international goal.

Nakamura answered seven minutes later for 18th-ranked Japan, turning and rifling a shot past Verbruggen from the left side of the arc after taking a pass from Takefusa Kubo.

Another seven minutes later, Summerville took a pass from Ryan Gravenberch and sent a left-footed shot to the far left post past Zion Suzuki, where it caromed in again.

The Dutch’s most recent loss before the elimination round came the last time the World Cup was in the United States in 1994, when a group play defeat was followed by a quarterfinal loss to Brazil at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas.

In Group F, the Netherlands plays Sweden on Saturday in Houston, while Japan goes to Monterrey, Mexico, to face Tunisia on Saturday.

Concert News

State Fair of Texas hosts full day of music featuring Fort Worth bands

Photo courtesy of TRVR?

TRVR? will be one of four Fort Worth musicians getting a special showcase at the State Fair of Texas.

For the very first time, the State Fair of Texas will welcome bands from a neighboring city to take over the stage for a day: Hear Fort Worth Day will spotlight Fort Worth musicians who will perform throughout the afternoon and evening on Monday, October 5.

According to a release, four Fort Worth music acts will get their own special showcase, performing on the Bud Light Stage (near Cotton Bowl Stadium) all day long, with sets starting roughly every two hours between 1 and 7:30 pm.

This marks the first time Dallas neighbor Fort Worth has its own day at the State Fair of Texas, which welcomes more than 2.5 million attendees over 24 days.

Kicking things off at 1 pm will be TRVR?, an independent artist known for introspective, relatable, and wholesome songwriting. Under his birth name, Trevor Douglas, TRVR? first found the spotlight at 16 with a Top 24 finish on American Idol.

Following him at 3 pm will be Mollie Danel, who was named Fort Worth Weekly’s 2026 Female Vocalist of the Year. Danel has developed a distinct voice and lyrical identity, with her recent EP, Sunshine Girl, confronting mental health, loss, and doubt with hard-won hope.

Third up at 5 pm will be Matthew McNeal, who has released five studio albums alongside longtime collaborator Andre Black, including HIGHLONESOME, which recently won the 2026 JAMBALOO Music Prize.

The day will wrap up with a performance by singer-songwriter .Marcel. at 7:30 pm. He pairs sultry R&B crooning with rapid-fire, rhyme-based prose, earning a reputation for slow-burning tracks of remarkable sonic depth.

The showcase is presented by the Hear Fort Worth Music Office, a division of Visit Fort Worth that is dedicated to amplifying the city's local music scene.

"It’s an honor to showcase our city’s sounds on one of the biggest stages in Texas, the State Fair,” Tom Martens, executive director of the Hear Fort Worth Music Office, says in the release. “This is a big opportunity to export our music to bigger audiences and promote tourism to our city.”

For more information, visit BigTex.com. Fairgoers are encouraged to beat the traffic by riding DART or, if traveling from Fort Worth, Trinity Metro.

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