The draw kept the gap between the two teams at three points, and with just one game remaining, the Netherlands' goal difference of +19 could only be threatened by Poland (+6) with a miracle.
Despite the World Cup ticket as good as in the grasp of Van Dijk and co., the Liverpool star was not happy with his side's performance on Friday evening.
"It was a tough night," Van Dijk told NOS. "It's always difficult to break through a low block and create chances. We lost the ball in difficult areas, allowing Poland to counter-attack."
The Netherlands fell behind after Jakub Kaminski's opener shortly before half-time, but the Dutch restored balance shortly after the break, when all-time top scorer Memphis Depay bagged the 55th goal of his Oranje career.
"After that, we went looking for more, but you have to take into account a counter-attack. The prevailing feeling is that we had a tough time against Poland's low block. We lost the ball in a dangerous position near the goal. That happens, and it's a shame."
The Netherlands can officially punch their ticket to next year's FIFA World Cup on Monday, when they will host Lithuania in the Johan Cruyff ArenA in Amsterdam. Van Dijk is looking forward to the match and hopes the fans are too.
"In club football, it's also difficult to play against teams that sit deep. You have to switch sides quickly. That was perhaps too slow today. We now have to finish it off on Monday in Amsterdam. Hopefully, everyone who comes to watch is looking forward to it; we can't wait."
The Netherlands and Lithuania start their final World Cup qualifier on Monday, 17th November, at 20:45 CET. Meanwhile, second-placed Poland will face Malta at the same time.