The Netherlands dodged a major bullet just hours before their World Cup opener. All-time leading scorer Memphis Depay and starting goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen were both cleared to play against Japan in Dallas — but only after a week of nerve-racking uncertainty.
Depay, who owns 52 international goals, hadn’t seen a minute of game action since tweaking his thigh while playing for Corinthians in Brazil. He sat out the final warm-up friendly against Uzbekistan entirely. The team kept his status vague right up until kickoff.
Verbruggen’s situation was even more concerning. The Brighton keeper landed awkwardly during that 2-1 win over Uzbekistan, and the sight of him being replaced by Bayer Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken sent alarms through the Dutch camp. The team later confirmed he suffered a bruised hip — painful, but not structural damage.
Manager Ronald Koeman played it cool at Saturday’s press conference, saying both players were “in contention.” But the subtext was clear: if either one couldn’t go, his entire Group F game plan would have to be scrapped.
How Oranje lines up without full trust in Depay
Even though Depay is fit, Koeman didn’t give him the starting nod. Roma’s Donyell Malen — who scored seven goals in his final seven Serie A appearances — gets the call up front instead. That choice says just as much about Malen’s torrid form as it does about Depay still rounding back into match sharpness.
This team has depth that past Dutch squads lacked. Cody Gakpo, who bagged both goals against Uzbekistan, starts on the left. West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville holds down the right after starting both pre-tournament friendlies. Tijjani Reijnders, who barely sniffed the pitch at Manchester City this season, gets the attacking midfield role — a testament to Koeman’s faith in his intelligence over raw minutes.
Behind them, the midfield double pivot of Liverpool’s Ryan Gravenberch and Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong should control possession against a disciplined Japan side.
Defensive stability with a new look
Denzel Dumfries, soon to be a Real Madrid player, starts at right-back. Tottenham’s Micky van de Ven is on the left. And in the middle, likely future club teammate Jan Paul van Hecke pairs with captain Virgil van Dijk. That back four hasn’t played a competitive match together before today — a risk Koeman is willing to take against a Japan team that thrives on quick transitions.
The Netherlands have historically stumbled in group-stage openers. In 2022 they needed a late equalizer to draw Ecuador. In 2014, they trailed Mexico before winning. The pattern is well known. Starting both Depay and Verbruggen — even after injury scares — gives this squad its best chance to break it.
Japan, meanwhile, will smell opportunity. They’ve beaten Germany and Spain on this stage before. If the Dutch defense looks disjointed early, Saturday’s fitness drama could suddenly feel like a footnote to a much bigger story.
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