The Netherlands were held to a frustrating 2-2 draw by Japan in their World Cup opener, but there was still a special Liverpool moment to take from the game in Dallas.
Virgil van Dijk captained the Dutch side and opened the scoring early in the second half, meeting a Ryan Gravenberch delivery with a superb guided header across goal and in off the post.
It was the kind of goal Liverpool fans will have enjoyed seeing, with two current Reds combining neatly on the biggest international stage.
However, it was not only a nice club connection. The goal also gave Liverpool a rare World Cup first, with Van Dijk and Gravenberch doing something no Reds pair had managed since 1966.
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Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch make Liverpool World Cup history
According to Opta’s Michael Reid on X, Gravenberch assisting Van Dijk was only the second World Cup goal ever scored and assisted by Liverpool players.
The only previous example came back in 1966, when Ian Callaghan assisted Roger Hunt for England against France on their road to the trophy.
That makes Van Dijk’s goal an excellent little piece of Liverpool history, even if the performance itself was not especially convincing from the Netherlands.
The first half had been largely lifeless from both sides, with neither team able to build much rhythm or create sustained pressure.
Van Dijk broke the deadlock six minutes into the second half, heading Gravenberch’s cross back across goal and into the net off the post.
Japan responded well after the break, though. Keito Nakamura equalised soon after Van Dijk’s opener, before Gravenberch picked up a second assist by setting up Crysencio Summerville for a low finish to make it 2-1.
The Dutch looked set to escape with the win, but Daichi Kamada struck two minutes from time to make it 2-2.
It was not the start the Netherlands wanted, but Van Dijk and Gravenberch still delivered a memorable moment for Liverpool fans. Their next World Cup match comes against Sweden in Houston on Saturday, June 20th.
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