Koeman rules out rotation as Oranje target top spot amid storm threat

Ronald Koeman says the Netherlands will be fully focused on securing first place in their World Cup group when they play their final group-stage match at 1 a.m. The Dutch coach is not concerned about who Oranje might face in the last 32 and has no plans to rotate his squad to give players a rest. Severe weather could affect Thursday's World Cup fixture in Kansas City, with forecasters predicting thunderstorms, high winds, and heavy rain in the area.

"Our aim is to continue progressing throughout this World Cup," Koeman said. "We want to perform well and achieve a positive result. Of course, the result of Japan versus Sweden matters too, but our main focus is on ourselves."

After two group-stage matches, both the Netherlands and Japan have collected 4 points. Should they finish level on points, FIFA first uses the result of the match between the two teams to break the tie.

If that does not separate them, goal difference and then goals scored are taken into account. If the teams remain level, disciplinary records become decisive, with yellow and red cards considered before FIFA's world rankings. The Netherlands currently occupies seventh place in the rankings, compared with 16th for Japan.

Finishing first in the group would send Oranje to Guadalupe, Mexico, where they would play their round-of-32 match at Monterrey Stadium in the early hours of Tuesday Dutch time. If Oranje end up second, they will instead play in Houston on Monday. Regardless of their final position, the potential opponents remain Brazil, Morocco, and Scotland.

Koeman said he would welcome the prospect of playing in Mexico. "It's a country that lives and breathes football, and it has some fantastic stadiums," the Dutch coach said.

The Netherlands head into their final group match with no injury concerns, giving Koeman a full squad to choose from. While Crysencio Summerville and Micky van de Ven are both at risk of suspension if they pick up another yellow card, the Dutch coach declined to reveal whether that could affect his team selection.

Memphis Depay is in the same situation, but Brobbey's brace against Sweden has strengthened his case for another start. "Brian had some physical discomfort during the Sweden match, which was why we replaced him," Koeman explained. "He's fully fit now. If we feel the risk is too high, we'll take him off, but that's a consideration we make with every player."

Despite Tunisia's early elimination, Koeman is not expecting an easy evening for the Netherlands. The North Africans have suffered heavy defeats to both Sweden and Japan and can no longer reach the knockout stage, even though the tournament also allows the eight best third-placed teams to advance.

Following the 5-1 loss to Sweden, Tunisia replaced coach Sabri Lamouchi with Hervé Renard, but Koeman believes his side still faces a serious challenge.

"They've had two difficult results and will be determined to end the tournament with some pride," he said. "We've studied Tunisia carefully and are ready to put that preparation into practice tomorrow."

Koeman admitted that the weather remains the one factor beyond his team’s control. "You can prepare for every scenario, but not for the weather," the Dutch coach said during his pre-match press conference. "Hopefully, the match will be played in good conditions and won't need to be stopped. At the moment, though, there's no guarantee of that."

Weather-related interruptions have already been an issue at the tournament. France's match against Iraq in Philadelphia was delayed by two hours on Monday after thunderstorms moved into the region. Under local safety rules in the United States, FIFA is required to suspend matches when lightning poses a risk, a situation that also led to significant delays during last year's Club World Cup.

Under the safety protocol, a match cannot restart until 30 consecutive minutes have passed without any lightning being recorded within 13 kilometres of the stadium. If another strike is detected during that period, the countdown begins again, potentially resulting in delays of several hours when thunderstorms linger in the area.

There is no predetermined cut-off point at which FIFA automatically calls off a match. Instead, the governing body evaluates each weather-related disruption individually before deciding whether play can continue.

Thousands of Dutch fans are expected to turn Kansas City orange on Thursday as the traditional Orange Parade makes its way through the city centre, led by the iconic Orange Bus. Local media estimate that around 25,000 people will take part in the celebrations, among them a large number of American supporters backing Oranje.

The turnout would be significantly higher than at the Netherlands' first two group-stage matches, which drew approximately 15,000 fans in Dallas for the game against Japan and in Houston for the clash with Sweden.

Supporters will be able to take part in the Oranje march covering roughly 2.5 kilometres through Kansas City. The festivities begin even before matchday, with a supporters' event scheduled for Wednesday evening between 10:00 p.m. and 11:30 p.m. local time at the FIFA Fan Festival near the National WWI Memorial. Fans attending the gathering will be entertained by the same performers set to appear during the matchday celebrations.