*This content was translated by AI.
Netherlands national team defender Virgil van Dijk (34, Liverpool) faced harsh criticism from his country's legends following the draw against Japan.
The UK's 'The Sun' reported on the 15th (Korean time) that Rafah van der Vaart, who played for Real Madrid and Tottenham, fiercely criticized van Dijk for his disappointing defensive performance in the Japan match, comparing him to a 'Boeing 747' passenger aircraft weighing 170,000 kg.
The Netherlands drew 2-2 with Japan in the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean Cup Group F first-round match held at Dallas Stadium in Arlington, USA, on this day.
Despite dominating the first half, the Netherlands failed to score until the sixth minute of the second half, when van Dijk's header gave them the lead. However, six minutes later, they conceded an equalizer to Keito Nakamura. In a tense atmosphere, they took the lead again in the 19th minute of the second half with a goal from Chrisen Summer, but ultimately drew the match after conceding an equalizer to Daichi Kamada in the final moments.
On this day, van der Vaart appeared on Dutch broadcaster NOS after the first half and strongly pointed out van Dijk's performance. He said, "Honestly, I was quite shocked by van Dijk's form. Especially when turning, his movement did not look good. He looked very burdened, as if a Boeing 747 was turning. He needs to turn faster for the remainder of the tournament," he added.
The media reported, "For the Netherlands, known for their solid defense and set pieces, conceding a goal from a corner kick in the final moments was painful. Some voices also criticized goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen for not moving more agilely during the goal-scoring situation."
After the match, Netherlands national team coach Ronald Koeman praised Japan's performance. He said, "I am disappointed that we did not win, as we were leading twice." He added, "Many people underestimated Japan."
He continued, "If you look down on Japan, that is your problem. We will see at the end of the tournament whether you thought Japan's performance was exaggerated."
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*This content was translated by AI.
