Virgil van Dijk addresses 'unnecessary' Netherlands issue despite World Cup progression

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The Netherlands may have topped Group F, wrapping up the group stage with a convincing 3-1 victory against Tunisia, but the display was some way short of flawless - a point both skipper Virgil van Dijk and Tijjani Reijnders were quick to acknowledge.The three-time FIFA World Cup runners-up travelled to Kansas City aware that the Group F title remained within reach, with both Japan and Sweden still in contention following what had proved a fiercely contested battle amongst the trio.Fortunately for Ronald Koeman's Dutch side, they encountered a Tunisian outfit that had failed to register a single point and was merely one match into life under new manager Hervé Renard. In the end, it's just a real shame to concede that goal from a set piece."So that's definitely something that needs to be mentioned.

And ultimately, of course, you earn your way to the knockout stage as the group winner."When pushed on their first-half dip in performance, Van Dijk offered: "I suppose it's just a matter of sloppiness-that sort of thing creeps in sometimes. That is something that needs to improve, but overall, I am very satisfied."Manchester City's Reijnders echoed those sentiments, commenting: "But I think towards the end of the first half we got too sloppy and our ball speed dropped, which allowed them to become dangerous.

So we just need to cut out those kinds of moments, but all in all, we achieved a great result.When questioned whether 'complacency' had contributed to the decline, Reijnders dismissed this notion, arguing instead that, "They defend so deep, and we sometimes made somewhat naive decisions-playing balls through the middle, which is exactly what they're waiting for-and then they were able to break out very quickly in transition."Irrespective of why the Netherlands allowed 'sloppiness' to infiltrate their display - arguably a weakness that has surfaced at points throughout all three of their World Cup fixtures - the reality remains that they have progressed to the first knockout round, where they will meet Morocco on 29th June, while runners-up Japan will face Brazil on the same day."My preference was simply to finish first and advance to the knockout stage. And that's what happened," Van Dijk remarked when asked about the next phase.