Netherlands Coach Koeman Defends Tactics After Frustration Against Japan

Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman stood by his tactical decisions following a frustrating 2-2 draw against Japan in their World Cup opener. Japan's late equalizer foiled Dutch hopes of victory after goals from Virgil van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville had put them ahead twice.

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There was also a problem with pressure on the flanks. So if you look at the game, both goals, well, we didn't defend well.

Koeman defended his substitutions, including bringing on a third center-back, which he admitted led to a more defensive setup. However, he insisted that shoddy defending, not his tactical choices, was to blame for the late goal. "Football is a funny game because, after Japan scored the second goal, they started defending as well," Koeman told reporters. "So we could have scored a third goal. So I don't regret my choices."

The coach also commented on Memphis Depay's performance, noting the forward earned a yellow card after coming off the bench. Koeman acknowledged that the team's performance was below par, stating they played at a "minimal standard" and needed to improve during the tournament. He also criticized the media for under-rating Japan.

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Football is a funny game because, after Japan scored the second goal, they started defending as well. So we could have scored a third goal. So I don't regret my choices.

The Netherlands, quarter-finalists in the 2022 World Cup, will face Sweden in their next Group F match.

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Of course, we can perform better and we need to grow during the tournament. This definitely was not our best performance. Of course, we would have preferred to win the first game. We expected to.