Japan to face Netherlands in World Cup opener Friday in Dallas

Japan begins its World Cup campaign against the Netherlands on Friday evening in Dallas, meeting for the first time in over a decade. Japan is entering the tournament with recent victories over Brazil and Ghana but has never beaten the Netherlands in previous matchups. The Dutch squad reached the semifinals of the recent European Championship but faces some injury concerns. Japan has suffered injuries to key players but seeks to leverage its strong defensive record, not conceding in the last five matches. Their last encounter resulted in a Japan defeat in the 2010 World Cup group stage, adding to the stakes of this matchup.

• 1:55 PMYahoo Sports — PREVIEW: Japan prepare for tasty clash World Cup clash with the Netherlands