"Il, one step ahead of us." Why did the Netherlands deploy a scenario for "Operation F ranked 3rd in Group F"? "The only thing we're ahead of is our size"

*This content was translated by AI.

The Netherlands, which belongs to Group F of the 2026 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup group stage, highly appreciated Japan's first opponent. Some argued that they should strategically seek to advance to third place in the group.

Dutch football's "Bootballzone" reported the prospect of a 48-nation 2026 FIFA North and Central America World Cup group stage, citing the views of renowned local columnist Genx Spahn. The Netherlands, along with Japan, Sweden, and Tunisia, were in Group F at the World Cup.

Spahn praised Japan's performance in the first group match and presented a realistic scenario that the Netherlands did not necessarily have to stick to the top of the group to advance to the final tournament.

"Japan is superior to the Netherlands in overall performance as a team," he said. Wary of Japan's organizational power led by head coach Hajime Moriyasu, he expressed concern, saying, "I have an uneasy feeling that the match against Japan will be a tough game."

He cited good physical conditions and height in the Netherlands as a solution to deal with Japan. Spahn said, "The game will be difficult if coach Ronald Koeman does not deploy strong players such as Julian Timber or Matthijs de Licht in the defense, and furthermore, if he does not utilize the heights of Virgil van Dijk, Emmanuel Emeha, and Cody Gakpo," adding, "We have height, but Japan is above us as a team."

He also proposed a "avoidance of strong calls" strategy considering the match table after the round of 16. According to Spahn's prediction, if the Netherlands passes the group stage as second place in the group, it is likely to face Brazil in the first match of the final tournament.

As a result, Spahn insisted that he should seek a path to face Switzerland, Mexico, and the United States after advancing to the finals for "third place with good performance." Citing the Italian national team of the 1982 World Cup, which advanced to the tournament after three draws in the group stage and eventually won the championship, he stressed, "Even if you struggle at first, you can win and improve your condition by going up."

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*This content was translated by AI.