Virgil van Dijk left the pitch at Houston Stadium feeling very proud of the ’ performance against . Following the of their fellow Europeans, the captain spoke to FIFA and praised his team’s performance, particularly at the start of both halves.
“I think we were outstanding for most of the match. We were very solid defensively, strong going forward, and scored five brilliant goals… Now we’re on to the next one,” said the defender, who had the tough task of containing the attacking duo of Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres.
“It wasn’t just them,” emphasised Van Dijk. “Of course, we’re well aware of the quality they possess; I know them well, especially Alex (Isak). In the first half, right up until the water break, we were doing very well. After that, they changed their system and let Alex play freely, drifting and cutting in from the left. We struggled a bit with that, because he was always unmarked. In the second half, we changed that, of course, and went back to playing very well.
“It’s always been about seeing it through to the end (against them); even when they create chances, you have to keep going, because the quality is there.”
This was the Netherlands’ first victory at the . It also proved to be a much-needed result, securing top spot in Group F following a frustrating draw with Japan in the opening match.
A goal from the Liverpool defender had the Dutch in front until the 89th minute of their opening match, when a goal from Daichi Kamada levelled the score at 2–2. Despite conceding a late goal, Van Dijk felt some of the reaction to the result was overblown.
“I think the outside world underestimated Japan a little; they’re a great team. That match was always going to be difficult. The reactions after that game were a bit – I wouldn’t say disrespectful, but… Japan were unbeaten for a while; they went a spell without conceding a goal. They beat Brazil, England and Scotland. It was always going to be tough.
“Coming away with a draw, conceding a goal at the end – of course that leaves a bitter taste. But there were plenty of positives in that match, and that’s what we’ve been building on this week. I think today showed what we did well, especially in the first half of both halves. In the end, it’s all about winning, and we won 5–1. We’ll recover and move on to the next match.”
The Netherlands face Tunisia in Kansas City on 25 June in their final Group F match.
Sources: FIFA Official
