Coach Koeman emphasized that the Netherlands needs to improve to enter the World Cup knockout round
Coach Ronald Koeman stressed the need for improvement in the Netherlands' performance despite the win over Tunisia, as they prepare for a difficult knockout match with Morocco.
Coach Ronald Koeman said that the Netherlands needs to improve the "poor" aspects of their play despite winning 3-1 against Tunisia, thereby taking first place in Group F at the World Cup. The Netherlands overtook Japan and Sweden to take top spot in the group when Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke scored following a self-kick from Ellyes Skhiri early in the match. The orange team took a 2-0 lead after just 6 minutes and 24 seconds, the fastest start by a team in World Cup history since 2002, when Poland led the United States 2-0 after 4 minutes and 21 seconds. However, Tunisia fought back in the match and reduced the score to 1-2 through Hazem Mastouri's header in the second half, however Van Hecke scored the Netherlands' third just eight minutes later, restoring his side's two-goal lead. The Netherlands had 71.7% possession against Tunisia, the highest figure they have recorded in a World Cup match (since 1966) and only the second time they have scored 10 goals in the group stage at this tournament, after 2014. However, with a challenging round of 32 match against Morocco awaiting, Koeman believes his side cannot afford to leave their opponents any chances. "We hoped for a good start and that happened. We led 2-0 quite quickly. After that, we continued well, but there were times in transition when they became dangerous," Koeman told NOS. "The period before the break and the period after the break were not good. You could see that not much was happening. "You want to play a complete game, not with such poor moments on the ball. Because if you play against better teams... We saw that against Japan or even Sweden, it can cost you." The Netherlands have scored 10 goals in the first three matches of a World Cup tournament for only the second time (10 in 2014), while also conceding four goals in their first three World Cup matches for the first time. The Netherlands will face Morocco – who finished second in Group C behind Brazil – in Monterrey on Monday, could have to play in high temperatures after they avoided the harshest conditions throughout the group stage. "We didn't have hot weather in Kansas City, we played indoors twice [in Houston] and today we were lucky to be able to play in comfortable temperatures," Koeman added. "If the weather is hot, then we just have to accept it." Tunisia, meanwhile, exited the tournament with no points and conceded 12 goals – the most by any team in the group stage of the World Cup since North Korea in 2010 (also 12) and the most in a single World Cup since Brazil in 2014 (14 goals conceded in seven games, including a 7-1 loss to Germany). Herve Renard was hired as their coach after just one match at the tournament, after Sabri Lamouchi was sacked following a 5-1 loss to Germany. Sweden, but he has no regrets about accepting this task. "We are not at a sufficient level to participate in this World Cup. This is very clear. There is no debate," he said. "The Federation has called me for a very short assignment. We agreed to that deal and instead of sitting on my sofa, watching this amazing event from far away, I thought; 'I have nothing to lose.'"
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