The Netherlands scored two goals in the first seven minutes of the first half en route to a 3-1 victory over Tunisia on Thursday night in Kansas City in the final match of World Cup Group F play for both teams.
The win secured passage to the knockout stage for the Netherlands (2-1-0, 7 points), who finished first place in Group F by virtue of Japan’s 1-1 draw against Sweden in Arlington, Texas. The Netherlands will face Morocco, the second-place team in Group C, in Monterrey, Mexico, on Monday in the round of 32.
Facing a side in Tunisia (0-3-0, 0 points) that entered the day already eliminated, the Dutch opened the scoring in the third minute. A cross from Denzel Dumfries from just inside the right edge of the scoring area deflected off the foot of Tunisia’s Ellyes Skhiri and into the back of the net.
Brian Brobbey doubled the Netherlands’ lead in the seventh minute. Virgil Van Dijk’s diving header on a Tijjani Reijnders free kick from 20 yards out bounced into the path of Brobbey, who powered it past goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen from close range for his third goal of the tournament for a 2-0 lead.
Jan Paul van Hecke made it 3-1 in the 62nd minute with his first-ever World Cup goal, as his header on a Reijnders corner kick grazed the top of the head of Tunisia’s Anis Ben Slimane on its way toward goal.
Hazem Mastouri (54th minute) scored the lone goal for Tunisia, heading a corner kick from Hannibal Mejbri into the bottom left corner.
Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen ended the night with three saves on four shots on target. Dahmen finished with four saves while facing seven shots.
Tunisia was outscored 12-2 in their three World Cup matches. Their only other goal of the tournament came in the 43rd minute of a 5-1 loss to Sweden on June 14.
Sweden go through too!
Meanwhile, Sweden salvaged a 1-1 draw with Japan as both sides confirmed their progress to the World Cup knockout rounds on Thursday after Anthony Elanga curled in a 62nd-minute equaliser to earn Graham Potter’s team a share of the points in Group F.
Elanga struck six minutes after Daizen Maeda had finished off a team move of the highest quality for Japan, who finish second to the Netherlands in the group with five points to set up a last-32 clash with five-times world champions Brazil.
