Brian Brobbey and the Dutch roll in the rain to a 3-1 win over Tunisia to top World Cup Group F

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The lightning that streaked over Arrowhead Stadium on Thursday night only briefly slowed the Oranje Fanwalk, as Dutch supporters marched en masse to watch the Netherlands play Tunisia in the World Cup, the top spot in Group F hanging in the balance.

Nothing else seems to be slowing down the Dutch these days.

Certainly not a Tunisian team in chaos.

Brian Brobbey scored his third goal of the tournament, and the Netherlands got two more goals that deflected off Tunisian players and into their own net, sending the Dutch to a 3-1 victory and ultimately first place in their group.

The Netherlands had begun the day tied at the top with Japan. But when the Samurai Blue only managed a 1-1 draw with Sweden in a game played simultaneously in Arlington, Texas, that left Virgil van Dijk and his teammates looking forward to a matchup with Group C runner-up Morocco on Monday in Monterrey, Mexico — and Japan with the heavy task of playing Brazil in the round of 32.

“These are the kind of games you want to play. These are the big games, why you want to play in the World Cup,” Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke said. “I think the team is prepared for a big game, and everyone knows it's game on.”

Tunisia, which sacked its coach after a loss to open the World Cup, had already been eliminated from the tournament.

The opening minutes Thursday night summed up the last couple of weeks for the Eagles of Carthage, too: Dutch defender Denzel Dumfries sent a ball across the front of the goal, Ellys Skhiri slapped at with his foot in an attempt to clear, and the Tunisian captain found the back of his own net instead.

Brobbey made it 2-0 in the seventh minute, after the Dutch had earned a free kick from about 25 yards. The 6-foot-5 van Dijk expertly headed it across the box, and Brobbey was in perfect position to chip the ball past Tunisian goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen.

“If you can’t defend,” Tunisia coach Hervé Renard said, “you can’t do anything in football.”

Tunisia finally scored in the 54th minute, when Hazem Mastouri redirected a corner kick into the net, only for the Dutch to match the goal a few minutes later, when van Hecke’s header off a corner glanced off Anis Slimane's head and into his own net.

“We (scored) directly after,” Brobbey said, “so that was a good response.”

That's an understatement.

The Netherlands controlled the game from there, even as a first-half drizzle turned into a second-half downpour.

The threat of thunderstorms had persisted all the week, and lightning briefly forced fans to take cover before the game. But once they were given the all-clear, the Dutch fans clad in their highlighter-orange shirts poured down the aisles and into the home of the Kansas City Chiefs, making it look like deer hunting season had suddenly begun in the Midwest.

“That gives you a fantastic feeling,” Dutch coach Ronald Koeman said, “when you enter the stadium and see all that orange.”

The Netherlands is certainly big-game hunting in this World Cup.

The nation of Johan Cruyff and Marco van Basten has long held the moniker of best never to have won the tournament. Three times the Dutch have advanced to the finals and each time they have lost, most recently to Spain in extra time in 2010.

They got off to a lackluster start this go-round, too, tying Japan 2-2 in their opener. But with two goals apiece from Brobby and Cody Gakpo, the Netherlands routed Sweden 5-1, and now it has some serious momentum heading into the knockout stage.

Tunisia seemed quite content just to finish a disastrous World Cup.

The Eagles of Carthage opened with a 5-1 loss to Sweden, which led to coach Sabri Lamouchi's firing. Renard took over amid reports of tension and infighting within the team, and little seemed to have changed during a 4-0 loss to Japan last week.

Tunisia has never reached the knockout rounds in seven trips to soccer's grandest stage.

“It’s a big tournament with very good teams, especially in this group. It was a very good group,” Renard said. “We needed to be much stronger, and we weren’t strong enough, so this is the conclusion.”

See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here.

Netherlands' Cody Gakpo falls over Sweden's Gustaf Lagerbielke during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Netherlands' Virgil van Dijk, left, vies for the ball with Tunisia's Elias Achouri during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ed Zurga)

Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville celebrates after scoring his side's fifth goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Netherlands' Crysencio Summerville celebrates with Memphis Depay, left, after scoring his side's fifth goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match between the Netherlands and Sweden in Houston, Saturday, June 20, 2026. (AP Photo/Ashley Landis)

Tunisia goalkeeper Mouhib Chamakh (1) punches the ball over Netherlands' Brian Brobbey (19) and Tunisia's Anis Slimane (25) during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Fans do the wave during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Netherlands' Brian Brobbey (19) celebrates their second goal with Virgil van Dijk (4) and teammates during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Reed Hoffmann)

Tunisia's Mohamed Amine Ben Hmida (21) reacts to an own goal by teammate Ellyes Skhiri during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

Netherlands' Brian Brobbey (19) celebrates after Tunisia's Ellyes Skhiri (17) scored an own goal during the World Cup Group F soccer match between Tunisia and the Netherlands in Kansas City, Mo., Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

LA GUAIRA, Venezuela (AP) — Venezuelans searched for survivors beneath collapsed buildings Thursday and rescue teams raced to northern areas rocked by a pair of powerful earthquakes that officials say killed around 235 people and left at least 4,300 people injured.

“Unfortunately we have received around 235 patients who arrive without vital signs or die when they arrive at our health facilities,” Health Minister Carlos Alvarado told state media Thursday.

The number of dead and injured is expected to rise with thousands reported missing after the 7.2- and 7.5-magnitude earthquakes that struck Wednesday evening, which was among the strongest in Venezuela in more than a century and was felt throughout the region.

Thousands were reported missing and buildings were evacuated as far away as Brazil’s Amazon.

In response to the devastation, the U.S. Treasury on Thursday moved to waive some sanctions until Oct. 23 to allow transactions related to earthquake relief efforts in Venezuela that would otherwise be prohibited.

Meanwhile, in cities across northern Venezuela, panicked residents poured into the streets and searched for the missing in the debris.

The injured were pulled out of the rubble covered in dust and blood, among them children and animals. Venezuelan state TV showed dramatic images of rescues, including a woman who was trapped under a cement slab, only a barefoot poking out before crews managed to get her out alive. But few government search teams were scene outside Caracas.

Dayana Delgado, mother of three children, asked where the heavy machinery was that government officials had promised, pointing out that neighbors were the ones digging through the rubble.

“I want to know where my child is, if he’s trapped or in a shelter,” she said of her 8-year-old son who was missing.

One mother sobbed and collapsed in grief as the bodies of her 3- and 10-year-old children were wrapped in blankets and carried away. Others screamed the names of missing loved ones. Some stood in silent shock.

The coastal region of La Guaira — north of the capital, Caracas — suffered some of the heaviest damage and casualties. The country’s main airport is there and was closed due to damage, complicating aid efforts.

Retired schoolteacher Juan Alberto Mendaño climbed through wreckage in La Guaira and past a dead body when he spotted a woman who was trapped and signaling with her hand for help.

“May God rescue her as quickly as possible,” said Mendaño. “When we heard the scream, there was nothing we could do.”

Offers to send aid and supplied poured in from around the world, including from the United States, which seized Venezuela's then-president Nicolas Maduro at the beginning of the year in a surprise military operation.

The natural disaster is just the latest challenge for acting President Delcy Rodríguez, the former vice president who took office in January after Maduro's capture. Venezuela has been facing economic disarray for more than a decade, and many people reject the legitimacy of the political movement Rodríguez represents.

Venezuelan authorities said they were diverting rescue teams from other parts of the country to La Guaira, which is no stranger to natural disasters; a 1999 mudslide there, considered one of the country’s worst natural disasters, killed thousands.

Rodríguez appealed to businesses Thursday to make heavy construction equipment available for rescue operations.

“We hope to rescue as many living people as possible,” said Rodríguez, who referred to La Guaira as a “disaster zone.”

She said the first rescuers from the Dominican Republic were about to land and more from other countries were expected to arrive in the coming hours.

While Venezuela sits near multiple fault lines, its position straddling the South American and Caribbean plates makes strong earthquakes much less common than in other parts of Latin America.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the first earthquake, with a magnitude of 7.2, hit west of Moron on the Caribbean coast, about 170 kilometers (105 miles) west of Caracas. It had a depth of 22 kilometers (about 14 miles). Just a minute later, USGS reported a second 7.5 magnitude earthquake, with a depth of 10 kilometers (about 6 miles) and an epicenter 16 kilometers (10 miles) southwest of Moron.

The one-two punch of the quakes, combined with the shallow seismic movements, amplified the destruction, said Marcos Ferreira, a geophysicist and researcher at the Geological Survey of Brazil.

“It is as if I am screaming and then someone starts screaming, too. That amplifies the vibration and adds to the potential hazard,” Ferreira said.

During the quakes, people ran from swaying buildings. Many were stunned Thursday morning as they saw buildings reduced to skeletons, furniture hanging out of windows and helicopters circling overhead.

In La Guaira, Cristian Carreño stared at his charred apartment building tilting precariously to one side.

“I lost everything,” he said. “There are people still inside, I imagine, that couldn’t get out. It’s incredibly devastating.”

In downtown Caracas, hundreds spent the night huddled in parks, parking lots and other open spaces.

“We were afraid the buildings would collapse on us,” said María Cristina Díaz, a 41-year-old janitor. “My mother, my daughter and I were cold. We didn’t sleep a wink.”

Parts of the capital lost power and cellphone service, Rodríguez said. Subway services were suspended and natural gas was shut off, she said. Classes will also be canceled for several days, and the Ministry of Education said some school buildings would be used as shelters and donation centers.

Families began posting missing-person flyers with photos of loved ones, while others shared handwritten lists of names as they searched for loved ones. Venezuelans living abroad struggled to make contact with relatives.

Shortly after United Nations officials in Venezuela called on the government to lift social media restrictions so people can get potentially life-saving information, Venezuelans in the country were able to access X. The site had been blocked by Maduro since August 2024, in an attempt to suppress the exchange of information among those who rejected his claim of victory in the July presidential election.

Rodríguez declared a state of emergency in an address to the nation late Wednesday. She said the government was creating a $200 million reconstruction fund for damaged hospitals and homes.

Leaders from Mexico, Qatar, Brazil, Spain, Portugal, Canada vowed to send aid. A number of shipments were already on the way Thursday. Aid included emergency and military personnel, canine and search teams, medical supplies, water purifiers, airplanes and drones.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who spoke to Rodríguez following the quake, said the United States was “immediately” deploying search and rescue teams, medical resources other assistance, though he acknowledged the closure of Venezuela's main airport created logistical challenges.

“We have a whole-of-government response. It’ll be big; it’ll be fast; and it’ll be effective,” Rubio said.

Janetsky reported from Mexico City. Associated Press journalists Regina Garcia Cano, Mauricio Savarese, Anna-Catherine Brigida, Danica Coto, Clara Preve, and Alexandra Olson contributed to this report.

A resident stands in a damaged building a day after an earthquake struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)

A man walks over the fallen walls of his home in Moron, near the epicenter of two earthquakes that struck Venezuela the day before, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacinto Oliveros)

Buildings damaged by an earthquake stand in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Neighbors carry a man rescued from the rubble of a collapsed building the day after earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

An injured woman walks in La Guaira, Venezuela, a day after an earthquake struck the area, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Damaged buildings stand a day after earthquakes struck La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Juan Pablo Arraez)

Neighbors helps a man evacuate his damaged home after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A vehicle is trapped in a fissure caused by an earthquake in La Guaira, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP PhotoJavier Campos)

Residents walk among the rubble of building damaged in earthquakes the previous day in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Patients lie outside a hospital evacuated after it was damaged in an earthquake in Catia La Mar, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

People camp on a sports court following an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)

People stay outside their homes after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

People sleep outside their homes following an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Thursday, June 25, 2026 (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A boy comforts his mother after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Pedro Mattey)

A man holding a dog cries after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Javier Campos)

Rescue workers search through the rubble after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026.(AP Photo/Javier Campos)

Rescue workers search through the rubble of a collapsed building after earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)

Rescue worker carry an injured man after an earthquake in Caracas, Venezuela, Wednesday, June 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Ariana Cubillos)