Netherlands beat Tunisia 3-1 to finish top of World Cup Group F

Brian Brobbey scored as the Netherlands defeated Tunisia 3-1 in rainy conditions to finish top of FIFA World Cup Group F. The Dutch advanced to the knockout stage, while already-eliminated Tunisia ended the tournament without registering a victory

Kansas City: Brian Brobbey scored his third goal of the World Cup, the Netherlands got a pair of goals that deflected off Tunisia into its own net, and the Dutch rolled in the rain to a 3-1 victory on Thursday night to advance to the knockout stage as the winners of Group F.

The Netherlands began the day tied at the top of the group with Japan. But when the Samurai Blue could only manage a 1-1 draw with Sweden in Arlington, Texas, it left Virgil van Dijk and his teammates looking forward to a matchup with Group C runners-up Morocco on Monday, and Japan with the tough task of playing powerhouse Brazil in the Round of 32.

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Tunisia, which sacked its coach after a loss to open the World Cup, had already been eliminated from the tournament.

The opening minutes summed up the last couple of weeks for the Eagles of Carthage: Denzel Dumfries sent a ball across the front of the goal, Tunisian captain Ellys Skhiri slapped at it with his foot in an attempt to clear it, and instead found the back of his own net.

Brobbey made it 2-0 in the seventh minute after the Dutch had earned a free kick from about 25 yards out. The 6-foot-5 van Dijk expertly headed it across the box, and Brobbey was in perfect position to chip the ball past Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen.

Tunisia finally scored in the 54th minute, when Hazem Mastouri redirected a corner kick into the net, but the Netherlands answered in the 62nd, when Jan Paul van Hecke’s header off a corner glanced off Anis Slimane’s head and into his own net.

The Netherlands controlled the game from there as a first-half drizzle turned into a second-half downpour.

The threat of thunderstorms had persisted all week, and lightning briefly delayed the completion of the “Oranje fan walk” to the game. But once they were given the all-clear, the Dutch fans, clad in their highlighter-orange shirts, poured down the aisles and into Arrowhead Stadium, making it look like deer hunting season in the Midwest.

The Netherlands is certainly hunting for big-game success in this World Cup.

The nation of Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten has long held the moniker of the best team never to have won the tournament. Three times the Dutch have advanced to the finals, and each time they have lost, most recently to Spain in extra time in 2010.

They got off to a lacklustre start this time too, drawing 2-2 with Japan in their opener. But with two goals apiece from Brobbey and Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands routed Sweden 5-1 and now have some momentum heading into the knockout stage.

Tunisia seemed quite content just to finish a disastrous World Cup.

The Eagles of Carthage opened with a 5-1 loss to Sweden, which led to coach Sabri Lamouchi’s firing. French coach Herve Renard took over amid reports of tension and infighting within the team, and little seemed to have changed in a 4-0 loss to Japan last week.

Thursday’s defeat extended Tunisia’s winless run to six matches.