Netherlands win Group F and set up a last-32 showdown with Morocco

The Netherlands signed off the group stage in style, brushing aside Tunisia to win Group F and, just as importantly, to engineer a kinder-looking route into the World Cup knockout rounds. Ronald Koeman's side will now meet Morocco in the last 32 rather than Brazil, a reward for finishing top.

The win itself was comfortable. The Oranje were sent on their way by a record-equalling 12th own goal of the tournament before Brian Brobbey and Jan Paul van Hecke added further strikes to wrap up the points. It was the kind of professional, no-fuss performance a side wants heading into the sharp end of a tournament.

The bigger prize was top spot and what it means for the bracket. By finishing ahead of Japan, the Netherlands avoided a daunting early meeting with Brazil and instead set up a showdown with Morocco in Monterrey. It is still a mouthwatering tie against a dangerous, well-organised side, but it represents a more navigable path than facing the Selecao so soon.

That is the value of winning a group rather than scraping through it. The margins between first and second place can shape an entire tournament, often determining whether a side meets a heavyweight in the first knockout round or has a slightly gentler draw. The Netherlands have given themselves the better hand, and they know it.

There is a quirky subplot, too. The Dutch contingent, complete with the specially converted team bus that has become a fixture at recent tournaments, now faces a journey of more than 1,000 miles from southern Texas to northern Mexico for the Morocco game. Having already taken in matches in Dallas, Houston and Kansas City, the Oranje road trip rolls on.

On the pitch, the signs are encouraging for Koeman. A balanced side that can score goals and grind out results is exactly the profile that travels deep into knockout football, and topping a competitive group suggests the Netherlands are quietly building momentum without drawing the spotlight that follows the tournament's bigger names.

Morocco, of course, will be no pushover. Few sides relish facing them, and a last-32 meeting between two well-drilled, talented teams promises to be one of the ties of the round. The Netherlands will start as marginal favourites, but they will know the margins in a one-off knockout match are slim.

For now, the Oranje can be satisfied with a job well done in the group stage and a route that, while far from easy, could have been a great deal harder. For every result and the shape of the last 32, follow the latest football news.