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Rafael van der Vaart has launched a fierce critique of Virgil van Dijk, likening the Netherlands skipper to a commercial aircraft after what he perceived as a sluggish defensive showing in the 2-2 World Cup draw against Japan. Although the Liverpool defender managed to get on the scoresheet, Van der Vaart admitted he was taken aback by Van Dijk’s lack of agility during the Netherlands’ opening World Cup fixture.

Van der Vaart’s ‘Boeing’ remark aimed at Van Dijk

The Netherlands began their World Cup campaign with a frenetic 2-2 draw against Japan in Dallas, a match in which Van der Vaart did not hesitate to single out Van Dijk for criticism. Speaking in the NOS studio, the former Netherlands and Real Madrid midfielder was forthright in his assessment of the Dutch captain’s display.

“To be honest, I was quite shocked by Van Dijk,” Van der Vaart said during the half-time analysis, when the score remained 0-0. “With him, I thought: that doesn’t look good. Especially when turning. It seems to be very difficult. A bit like a Boeing 747 making a turn. I hope he starts turning a bit faster as the tournament goes on.”

Roy Keane provides a contrasting viewpoint

While Van der Vaart focused on what he saw as a decline in Van Dijk’s mobility, Roy Keane offered a more complimentary perspective on ITV’s coverage. The former Manchester United captain praised Van Dijk’s attacking contribution, describing his opening goal as a moment of real quality despite recent challenges at club level.

“It was clearly a superb delivery from [Ryan] Gravenberch; we know how strong they are from set-pieces,” Keane commented. “Van Dijk is on a good run in terms of scoring. He’s had a tough season. Some of the deliveries tonight weren’t great, but when it came back to Gravenberch… We saw Japan dropping deeper and deeper, and once it goes in, it’s an absolutely outstanding header from Van Dijk. He’s always a serious goal threat — brilliant finish. It went in off the post, beautifully done. The way he guided it, there’s no real pace on the ball, but it’s an excellent header. Defensively poor from Japan, they were dropping back too much, but it’s lovely, he’s read it all the way. A really classy finish, and at that moment they were completely in control.”

A dramatic evening in Dallas

It turned out to be a turbulent night for Van Dijk, who led a Dutch side that often looked exposed against Japan’s rapid counter-attacks. However, the Liverpool centre-back appeared to quieten his critics in the 51st minute, rising highest to meet a Gravenberch cross and thundering a header past Zion Suzuki to hand Ronald Koeman’s team the advantage.

The goal triggered jubilant celebrations among the Dutch fans inside the AT&T Stadium, but the delight was short-lived. Japan, displaying their trademark resilience, fought back twice through Keito Nakamura and Daichi Kamada, cancelling out strikes from Van Dijk and Crysencio Summerville to ensure both teams shared the spoils in Group F.

Van Dijk’s response to the frustrating opener

Despite being named Player of the Match, Van Dijk remained composed when speaking to the media after the final whistle. The Dutch captain conceded that his side found it difficult to unlock a disciplined Japanese defence that operated with a compact 5-4-1 formation for most of the contest.

“We played against a Japan that stayed very compact. That made things tough,” Van Dijk admitted. “In the end, we start with a draw. We can definitely improve. On to the next one.” The Netherlands will now shift their focus to a vital clash against Sweden next weekend.

What lies ahead for the Netherlands at the World Cup?