Netherlands Kick Off in Kansas City as Tunisia Seek World Cup Consolation

So here we are in Kansas City, of all places, for a third place playoff that neither of these sides truly wanted. The Netherlands have just kicked off, and they are attacking from right to left in their familiar orange shirts and black shorts. Tunisia, wearing all white, will try to spoil the Dutch party one last time before this World Cup fades into memory. The atmosphere inside Arrowhead, or Kansas City Stadium as the organisers insist on calling it, is predictably split. The Oranje fans have taken their positions, a vibrant block of colour against the sea of neutrals waiting to see which of these two will go home with a bronze medal they never really planned for.You have to ask yourself, does motivation matter more than quality in a match like this The Dutch have the superior technical ability, the more clinical finishing options further up the pitch. But Tunisia have that North African grit, that refusal to be pushed around. They have shown in this tournament they can frustrate better sides, and against a Netherlands team that has sometimes looked vulnerable to a direct low block, they will fancy their chances of springing a surprise. This is transitional football at its most raw. No grand tactical chess match. Just two sets of players trying to salvage some pride from a campaign that fell just short of glory.The early exchanges are cautious, as you would expect. Neither side wants to be the one that bottles it on the biggest stage of their careers. But the longer this stays level, the more the tension creeps in. Watch for the full backs. The Dutch full backs will be tempted to bomb forward, leaving gaps that Tunisia can exploit on the break. If Tunisia can stay solid for the first twenty minutes, they will grow in belief. If the Dutch get an early goal, however, this could become a very long evening for the African side. Kick off is done. Now the real business begins.