Japan up first as Koeman locks in Oranje's World Cup XI

Japan up first – Sunday in New York

Your World Cup starts Sunday against Japan. Koeman has already said the starting eleven against Uzbekistan in the warm-up will be "almost certainly" the same team that faces Japan in the opener (7). Feyenoord defender Tsuyoshi Watanabe, who will line up for Japan, says he's ready for the clash and noted Robin van Persie's departure from Feyenoord as a loss for the club (7). The Netherlands are coming off a disappointing defeat to Algeria and need to find rhythm fast.

Koeman locks in his XI

The team that starts against Uzbekistan at Icahn Stadium is the team that starts the World Cup. That is Koeman's clear message (7). The right flank remains the biggest question – Denzel Dumfries has had nine different partners there. Crysencio Summerville is the latest to audition, and he's sought advice from both Virgil van Dijk and Frenkie de Jong. This week is about locking it down.

Elia: 'Still not good enough for some'

Eljero Elia has come out swinging in defense of Memphis Depay. The all-time Oranje top scorer continues to face criticism despite his record, and Elia isn't having it. "And still it's not good enough," he said (6).

Dutch-born players scattered across the World Cup

Several Netherlands-born players will feature at this World Cup – but not for Oranje or Curaçao. A full list of Dutch-born players representing other nations has been published as the tournament approaches (4).

Reijnders on the Instagram explosion that changed everything

Tijjani Reijnders has opened up about his international debut and the moment Indonesia came calling. "I didn't know what hit me, my Instagram completely exploded," Reijnders said (5). He stuck with Oranje, and now he's a key part of Koeman's midfield heading into the World Cup.

Fan reactions

Oranje fans are cautiously optimistic heading into the World Cup, with much of the chatter focused on Arjan Veurink's recent comments after the Poland victory. The consensus: the team has improved under his guidance, but it's not quite at the level supporters expect. Read the full discussion here.