Dutch media unhappy with Koeman's overly conservative substitutions and tactics

According to reports from AS, the Dutch team's match against Japan ended in a draw, and coach Koeman's extremely conservative substitutions drew widespread criticism.

Reports indicate that Dutch media severely criticized Koeman's tactical arrangements in the opening match between the Netherlands and Japan. The Telegraph published an article with the headline: "Koeman's drastic substitutions squandered the national team's good start," directly pointing out that after the coach brought on several defensive players to defend a 2-1 lead, Japan ultimately equalized.

Towards the end of the match, Koeman substituted Malen and Summerville, who were playing exceptionally well, and replaced Gravenberch with Aké, switching to a five-man defense. In an interview with the Dutch national broadcaster after the match, Koeman defended his substitution decisions: "If we had continued to press high and attack aggressively, the backline would have been exposed with many defensive gaps. Japanese players are excellent at reading the game and are very good at exploiting such defensive vulnerabilities to create threats. I actually believe this defensive-minded tactic was more stable than in previous matches, and no one should underestimate the overall strength of the Japanese team on the field."

"In the latter stages of the match, we were on the back foot and had to fall back to defend with all players. There was no way to implement a high press on the wings, which is why I chose to bring on Aké to solidify the defense.

Dutch media commented on the opening match, stating: "Every player was under immense psychological pressure from the FIFA World Cup, feeling tense and particularly anxious. The Oranje only focused on passive defense, completely losing the initiative on the field. The entire tempo was sluggish and dull, and there was no fluid movement or coordination between players."

Journalist Valentijn Driessen was the most scathing, fiercely criticizing Koeman and the Dutch team's performance: "All fans and media expected the national team coach, as well as core players like Van Dijk and the subdued Frenkie de Jong, to make the right decisions when assessing the situation. However, after taking the lead, the team only focused on retreating to defend the advantage, abandoning active offense to pressure the opponent, failing to decisively defeat Japan, and ultimately drawing disappointingly."

"While blaming the coach alone won't solve the problem, the entire team must urgently make improvements, otherwise, their FIFA World Cup journey in the United States will be much bleaker than the prospect Koeman and the players have publicly described – they had repeatedly stated that the Dutch squad possesses excellent strength, a solid defense that is difficult to break, and the ability to go further in this FIFA World Cup."

Goalkeeper Verbruggen also faced criticism for Japan's last-minute equalizer, and this opening match was equally disappointing for him. The goalkeeper said about the goal conceded: "I dived towards the ball and needed to react quickly in the air, which was very difficult. Unfortunately, I was a step too slow, and although my fingertips touched the ball, it still rolled into the net. It's truly frustrating and a great pity. Everyone thinks I could have made a better save to prevent the 2-2 draw."

Gakpo speaks up for Koeman

Gakpo came forward to defend Koeman's conservative tactical arrangements in the final stages: "It's difficult to judge this simply. Ultimately, victory or defeat is what everyone focuses on. At that time, we had a 2-1 lead, and making defensive adjustments might have been a logical choice. No one can predict in advance that the match will end in a draw, and it's always easy to judge right or wrong afterwards. At that point, this substitution decision may not have been wrong. Ultimately, the draw was not due to this substitution; we conceded from a set piece, which is a real shame."