The Netherlands could have completed prime of Group F, closing out the group stage with a stable 3-1 win in opposition to Tunisia, however it was removed from an ideal efficiency – one thing each crew captain Virgil van Dijk and weren’t afraid to level out.
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The three-time FIFA World Cup runners-up headed to Kansas Metropolis realizing that the Group F crown was nonetheless up for grabs, with each and nonetheless within the hunt after what had confirmed a tricky battle between the three.
Fortunately for ’s Dutch crew, they had been confronted with the prospect of taking over a Tunisian facet that had but to attain some extent and was only a single sport into its tenure beneath new head coach Hervé Renard.
Tijjani Reijnders was additionally crucial of their play in Kansas Metropolis -Credit score:Invoice Barrett/ISI Pictures through Getty Photos
Issues acquired off to a lightning begin at Arrowhead Stadium, with an personal objective from midfielder and a 3rd objective of the event from Participant of the Match giving the Netherlands a 2-0 cushion inside the opening 10 minutes.
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Because the half wore on, the depth dropped off, and early within the second half, introduced Tunisia again into the sport with a close-range header. Fortunately for Koeman’s facet, a header from reestablished their two-goal lead lower than 10 minutes later.
With Japan and Sweden drawing 1-1 in Arlington, Texas, that ensured the Dutch would end as group winners, organising a Spherical of 32 sport in opposition to .
However regardless of successful the sport and the group, Liverpool’s Van Dijk wasn’t precisely giddy. When requested if he was happy after the sport, he instructed , “Usually, sure. You do what it’s a must to do. I feel we’re off to an awesome begin. As the primary half progressed, play grew to become a bit sloppier. Pointless.
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“But it surely’s nonetheless not an issue. Ultimately, it’s only a actual disgrace to concede that objective from a set piece. In order that’s undoubtedly one thing that must be talked about. However scoring one helps, too. And finally, in fact, you earn your solution to the knockout stage because the group winner.”
Pressed on their first-half drop, Van Dijk urged, “I suppose it’s only a matter of sloppiness—that kind of factor creeps in generally. It should not occur, however it does slip in.
“It’s a mixture of poor choices and shedding possession in harmful areas, which naturally leaves you having to dash again throughout enormous areas at occasions. That’s one thing that should enhance, however general, I’m very glad.”
This sentiment was mirrored by ’s Reijnders, who , “However I feel in the direction of the tip of the primary half we acquired too sloppy and our ball pace dropped, which allowed them to change into harmful. So we simply want to chop out these sorts of moments, however all in all, we achieved an awesome consequence.”
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Requested if he felt ‘complacency’ was guilty for the drop off, Reijnders brushed this apart, stating as an alternative that, “They defend so deep, and we generally made considerably naive choices—enjoying balls by way of the center, which is strictly what they’re ready for—after which they had been capable of get away in a short time in transition.”
Ronald Koeman’s facet will now put together to tackle Morocco within the Spherical of 32 -Credit score:Michael Steele/Getty Photos
No matter why the Netherlands let ‘sloppiness’ creep into their efficiency – arguably one thing they’ve been responsible of at occasions in all three of their video games this World Cup – the very fact of the matter is that they’re by way of to the primary knockout spherical, the place they are going to face Morocco on June 29, while runners-up Japan will tackle that very same day.
“My choice was merely to complete first and advance to the knockout stage. And that’s what occurred,” Van Dijk mentioned when requested in regards to the subsequent stage. “Now we all know a really, very robust opponent awaits us in Monterrey. I’ve by no means been there—by no means even been to . So, I hope to see lots of Oranje followers there, too—although, to be sincere, I totally count on that to be the case.”