Netherlands beat Tunisia 3-1 to win Group F, set up last-16 clash with Morocco

Fast start settles the contest

The Netherlands needed only seven minutes to put the game beyond Tunisia at Arrowhead Stadium. An own goal by Tunisia captain Ellyes Skhiri in the third minute, deflecting a Denzel Dumfries cross, was followed four minutes later by Brian Brobbey's close-range finish after Virgil van Dijk headed a free-kick into his path. It was the earliest two-goal lead the Dutch had taken in a World Cup match for 55 years.

Tunisia pulled one back early in the second half through Hazem Mastouri, briefly raising the prospect of a comeback. Jan Paul van Hecke restored the two-goal cushion in the 62nd minute, and the Netherlands saw out the win comfortably in front of 68,391 fans.

Storm clouds clear in time

Severe weather had dominated the build-up. The US National Weather Service warned of strong storms and heavy rain for the Kansas City area on Thursday afternoon and evening. A morning fan march through the P&L District drew around 25,000 Oranje supporters, but the official fan fest was shut down at 2 p.m. local time as thunder and downpours arrived. Stadium gates stayed closed and a postponement was briefly considered, echoing the earlier weather disruption that hit France's match against Iraq in Philadelphia.

About 90 minutes before kick-off the storm clouds passed, and the match began on schedule. Captain Virgil van Dijk, who plays his club football in often-rainy Liverpool, was unfazed.

It rains often there, for me that's nothing special.

Morocco await in Monterrey

The result sends the Netherlands into a round-of-16 tie against Morocco in Monterrey, Mexico, in the early hours of Tuesday Central European Time. The fixture carries extra spice given the large Moroccan community in the Netherlands and the number of players of Moroccan descent in the Dutch league. Van Dijk expects a tough test.

I expect a great team with footballing quality, but also with weaknesses. We have to try to exploit them. I'm really looking forward to it, these are great games. Let's go!

Koeman demands sharper focus

Head coach Ronald Koeman, who made only one change to the side that thrashed Sweden 5-1, was satisfied with the group-stage outcome but warned that lapses in concentration would be punished in the knockout rounds.

You want to play a game like this well in its entirety. Sloppy moments in possession or in transition play don't belong. The next game is a knockout game. Moments like that can cost you your head.

Koeman added that he was unsure whether his team would be favourites against Morocco, describing them as a good side with plenty of quality. The Netherlands finished Group F with seven points from three matches, unbeaten, and now face a path that could include Canada or South Africa in the quarter-finals and a potential meeting with Germany later in the tournament.