Dutch media criticize Koeman after costly tactical retreat against Japan

The Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan overnight Sunday to Monday in a dramatic World Cup group-stage match, extending several Dutch tournament streaks. The Oranje have now gone 10 straight World Cup openers without a defeat, the longest run in tournament history, and 17 consecutive group-stage matches unbeaten, behind only Brazil’s 23-match run. It was also the first time in Dutch World Cup history that the lineup included no players from the domestic league.

Virgil van Dijk scored his first World Cup goal and, at 34, became the second-oldest Dutch player ever to score in the tournament, behind only Giovanni van Bronckhorst at 35. After the match, the defender said he was “very disappointed” to concede from a set piece, adding, “I think until that point we defended well. It could have been prevented. We played against Japan, who kept a very tight and organized shape, and that made it difficult for us. In the end we opened the tournament with a draw. We needed to move the ball side to side faster and skip stations along the way, and that is not always easy, but it can definitely be done better. Now we are looking ahead to the next match.”

Dutch criticism focused on coach Ronald Koeman, who had initially benched Donyell Malen, Cristhianu Sammerville, Cody Gakpo and man of the match Ryan Gravenberch. Former Netherlands striker Pierre van Hooijdonk, speaking on NOS, said, “If there were no injuries or fatigue behind these substitutions, then in my view it is quite strange to decide so early to retreat.”

Van Hooijdonk added that “you drop back when you no longer have the right weapons for it, the pace was no longer there,” and said Koeman only tried to fix the mistake by bringing on Brian Brobbey as a striker. He also argued that with Memphis Depay the team was playing even farther from Japan’s goal. Analyst Rafael van der Vaart also said he was surprised, calling the move “very strange, very defensive all of a sudden,” because the team had just started to play better, scored, and then invited pressure by backing off instead of continuing to press.