Japan will face Brazil in a FIFA World Cup last-32 clash after drawing 1-1 with Sweden. The Netherlands topped Group F after beating Tunisia 3-1 and avoid Brazil.
In a game in front of 70,000 in Texas that sprang into life in the second half, Daizen Maeda gave Japan the lead soon after the break but Anthony Elanga levelled minutes later.
Japan, fancied as dark horses to go far in North America, were hanging on by the end as Alexander Isak and Elanga both went close in injury time.
The Netherlands finished top of a competitive group with seven points, with Japan on five, Sweden four and Tunisia on the plane home with zero.
Graham Potter’s Sweden have also qualified for the knockouts as one of the best third-placed finishers.
The Netherlands, who eased past Tunisia 3-1, will face Morocco in Monterrey in the knockout rounds while Japan play Brazil in Houston.
Japan and Sweden were safe in the knowledge that a point was not a disaster, and the paucity of chances in the first period reflected that.
The Premier League duo of Isak and Viktor Gyokeres had very little impact in the Swedish attack, as a technically superior Japan dominated the ball.
On the stroke of the break Japan had the best chance of the first half, winger Keito Nakamura forcing goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom to turn the ball around his post.
The second period started in much the same way, all-action Japan midfielder Ao Tanaka jigging his way into space but blasting over the bar.
Hajime Moriyasu’s team turned up the heat, and they took the lead on 56 minutes when the dangerous Celtic attacker Maeda rolled the ball beyond the on-rushing Zetterstrom after being slid in by Ritsu Doan.
The lead lasted only six minutes, the Newcastle winger Elanga cutting in from the right and firing with his left from the outside the box and beyond goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
Suddenly Sweden were on top, and Suzuki denied Isak, only for the hydration break to interrupt their momentum and swing it back to Japan.
But Japan were flagging badly by the end, as Sweden went in search of a winner that would have catapulted them into a direct knockout berth.
Suzuki kept Elanga out in the third of seven added minutes, then the goalkeeper stopped an Isak header from close range.
Shoddy Tunisia crash out
Ronald Koeman’s men flew into a two-goal lead in soggy Kansas City thanks to some shoddy defending from the North African side.
First, Ellyes Skhiri sliced Denzel Dumfries’ cross into his own net and minutes later Sunderland forward Brian Brobbey lashed home from close range.
Tunisia pulled a goal back in the second half but the Dutch restored their two-goal lead courtesy of a Jan Paul van Hecke header shortly after the hour mark.
Thursday’s game started on time after a lightning storm had threatened major disruption earlier in the American Midwest.
Tunisia went close in the opening moments when Ismael Gharbi fired over from close range but that proved a false indicator of what was to come.
Instead Skhiri turned the ball into his own net in the third minute to put the three-time finalists in front.
Just four minutes later Brobbey smashed home his third goal of the World Cup after Virgil van Dijk headed across goal following a Tijjani Reijnders free-kick.
That apparently sealed the deal for the Netherlands, whose orange-clad fans were entertaining themselves with Mexican waves midway through the first half at Arrowhead Stadium.
Tunisia threatened to unravel further but managed to reach half-time without conceding again.
The North Africans pulled a goal back in the 54th minute when Hazem Mastouri headed home from Hannibal Mejbri’s corner.
But any potential jitters were quickly dispelled minutes later when Van Hecke’s header from Reijnders’ corner found its way into the net via a deflection.
Tunisia will go home with their tails between their legs after an embarrassing campaign in which they shipped 12 goals in three games.
The Netherlands, who finished their group fixtures with seven points, pipped Japan to top spot in Group F, and will face Morocco in the second round in Monterrey on Monday.
Japan drew 1-1 against Sweden in Arlington, Texas, to confirm second spot though the Scandinavian side also advanced as one of the eight best-placed teams who finished third.
