EFC Brief

Plenty for Everton eyes here, but the strongest thread runs to the dugout: Ronald Koeman, who managed Everton between 2016 and 2017, watched his Netherlands side surrender a winning position twice in a 2–2 draw with Japan. Koeman will be frustrated by the manner of it — Virgil van Dijk's 51st-minute opener was cancelled out by Keito Nakamura, and Crysencio Summerville's 64th-minute strike, just three minutes after picking up a booking, ultimately counted for nothing. The EFC-linked pair were both involved for the Dutch. Denzel Dumfries and Donyell Malen carry Everton associations, and they'll share in the disappointment of a late collapse, with Daichi Kamada levelling for Japan in the 88th minute. A messy finish for the Oranje, too: cards for Memphis Depay and Micky van de Ven in stoppage time underlined a loss of discipline as a two-goal cushion slipped away entirely.