The “magic blackboard” behind Japan’s fatal draw with the Netherlands in the World Cup (video)

Japanese national team coach Hajime Moriyasu attracted attention during the final minutes of the “Samurai” match with the Netherlands, which ended in a 2-2 draw in the 2026 World Cup finals, after he resorted to an unconventional method to motivate his players from the technical area.

Television footage showed the Japanese coach using a tactical whiteboard to communicate with his players. He initially held up a board bearing the numbers “4-5,” indicating the deployment of a larger number of players on the offensive side, before he gradually adjusted the numbers to “3,” then “2,” and then “1,” in a scene that appeared to be a gradual directive to increase offensive pressure in the final minutes.

EL MÉTODO MORIYASU 🇯🇵📋

Marco del Estreno Mundialista in Dallas that ends 2-2 ante Países Bajos, the entrenador of Japanese realizó indicaciones with una pizarra. pic.twitter.com/HoJegKwy3n

— TyC Sports (@TyCSports) June 14, 2026

The strange method resulted in better communication between the players and the coach and the equalizing goal was scored in the last minutes, which shocked the Dutch European team, one of the favorites to win the title.

The blackboard is considered a means of a tactical signaling system that Japan has relied on for some time, based on the use of numbers from 1 to 5 as short codes for technical instructions agreed upon in advance between the technical staff and the players.

Japanese media reports revealed that each number has a set of special instructions related to the degree of pressure, the form of defensive organization, or tactical adjustments on the field, which allows instructions to be transmitted quickly without the need to stop play or prolonged direct communication.

This system allows players to carry out instructions as soon as they see the number, which explains the speed of response on the field and the smoothness of tactical transitions during the match.

This scene sparked widespread interaction on social media platforms, and cameras also captured a funny moment between Moriyasu and the fourth official, who seemed to interact with the unconventional style adopted by the Japanese coach.