World Cup Jan van Hecke left the Netherlands – Japan (2-2) match with a black eye, but he remained focused on the upcoming opponents, Sweden and Tunisia. Despite the visible mark on his face, caused by Maeda’s boot in a ball dispute, the player downplayed the injury, stating: “During the game, you don’t feel it because of the adrenaline.” The defender managed to continue, but as the match progressed, he felt increasing pain from the blow. “He hit me right in the eye,” Van Hecke told NOS. “I went for the ball with my head; it could happen. At times, it affected my vision; in fact, I’m now realizing that I’m not seeing very well on this side. I hope it improves a bit, but I know it will probably swell a bit more. It’s part of it.” The defender lamented the late equalizer conceded. “We had good moments in the game and scored two good goals. Then we dropped back too much on the field. We should have maintained more pressure on the opponent, as that made things more difficult for ourselves,” he stated.
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