Ryan Gravenberch Sets Up 2 Netherlands Goals in 2-2 Draw
ryan gravenberch delivered two assists and played 81 minutes as the Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan in Texas on Sunday. The Liverpool midfielder’s latest international outing added another sharp performance to a season in which his role has already shifted under Arne Slot.
Gravenberch and the 2-2 draw
The key numbers were blunt. Gravenberch completed 88% of his passes and had the joint-most dribbles in the game, with his influence showing up in both the buildup and the final ball. Virgil van Dijk opened the scoring from a cross by Gravenberch, and Crysencio Summerville later scored after a pass from him.
That output came in a World Cup match, which gives the performance more weight than a routine club outing. Gravenberch was on the pitch for most of the draw, and the two assists turned a level game into one where the Netherlands consistently found a way through Japan’s shape.
Slot’s Liverpool reset
The contrast with his recent Liverpool spell is clear from the background around his club form. Gravenberch initially made the least impact among Liverpool’s four midfield arrivals in 2023, but Slot later installed him as the deepest lying midfielder in the summer of 2024. That move helped Liverpool win one Premier League title and gave Gravenberch one PFA Young Player of the Year award.
He signed a new long-term contract in March, and this showing for the Netherlands fits the profile Liverpool have been asking for: controlled passing, carrying the ball, and enough composure to turn midfield touches into goals. In Texas, the final return was two assists, 88% passing, and a share of the game’s most effective dribbling work.
Netherlands, Japan, and Gravenberch
For the Netherlands, the draw kept Gravenberch central to the attack without requiring him to carry the game alone. Frenkie de Jong also featured in the midfield picture, but the match belonged to the player who produced both the opener and the pass that set up the second goal.
Sunday’s line gives Liverpool another data point after a season in which opponents had targeted Gravenberch and his impact had faded when the team struggled. This time, he finished the match with the kind of numbers that force a different conversation: two assists, 81 minutes, and a clear hand in both Netherlands goals.
