HOLLAND – USA | Saturday 4pm
The round of 16 of the Qatari World Cup begins at the futuristic Khalifa International Stadium in Al Rayyan, which will host the interesting challenge between the Netherlands and the USA, who finished first in Group A and second in Group B respectively.
Louis van Gaal’s Oranje have basically confirmed the predictions made on the eve of the match, winning a group that did not present any particular pitfalls: in addition to the hosts Qatar, who appeared much less competitive than the initial forecasts, there were also Ecuador and Senegal, two fearsome and organised teams, but all in all within the reach of the selection led by the former coach of Ajax, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
The Netherlands’ path
The Netherlands go into the knockout stage unbeaten, having picked up two wins (2-0 over Senegal and 2-0 against lowly Qatar), a draw (1-1 with Ecuador) and a total of seven points.
They have conceded very little – barely a goal conceded – but have been disappointing in terms of the quality of their play, which is usually one of the feathers in the cap of van Gaal’s teams. The total score is five goals, the bare minimum to reach the minimum goal: to pass the group stage. Van Dijk and his teammates, however, never really convinced, but rather entertained, as they did in the last Nations League or in the World Cup qualifiers. The only positive note was the explosion of Cody Gakpo. In the absence of Depay – the Barça striker played little because he was not at his best – it was the Psv Endihoven jewel who took the Oranje by the hand, even scoring three goals.
The USA’s run
A pass to the round of 16 was the reward for a sparkling US selection, one of the positive surprises of this World Cup, who finished behind England in Group B (0-0 on matchday two) and got the better of Wales and Iran, the two direct contenders for second place.
With the Welsh it ended 1-1, while the decisive success came against the Iranians, who were beaten 1-0 thanks to a goal from their most talented player, Christian Pulisic. Gregg Berhalter is at the helm of a young national team that plays good football and can count on some interesting players such as Dest, McKennie, Musah and Weah. More football than soccer, in short, for a selection that dreams of reaching the top eight, a goal it was only able to achieve 20 years ago in South Korea and Japan.
Holland-USA: the latest line-up news
Van Gaal will not deviate from the 3-4-1-2, where he will re-propose the attacking pair formed by the unleashed Gakpo and a Depay in search of redemption, the best that at offensive level this national team is able to offer. Behind them will be Klaassen, in a trequartista version, while in the middle the central figure is Barcelona midfielder Frenkie de Jong, called upon to carry out directing tasks, dictating the timing but also moving between the opposing defence and midfield lines. Frimpong, who is struggling with an ankle problem, risks exclusion, but the right flank will, as usual, be dominated by Dumfries. Finally, a ballot in defence between Timber and former Juventus player de Ligt.
In the United States there is the big dilemma for Pulisic: he was injured in the vicinity of his ‘nether regions’ when he scored and even had to be admitted to hospital at the end of the match. The Chelsea outside player will in any case do everything not to miss the match. In the offensive trident he will play alongside Sargent and Weah, while there should be no changes in midfield and defence compared to the match against Iran.
The Prediction
The Netherlands, while not excelling offensively, have confirmed themselves as a very solid, no-nonsense team in the one-day phase: it is no coincidence that they have not lost a match since the summer of 2021. The USA may not have the same experience and quality as the Dutch, but they have only conceded one goal in Qatar so far – on a penalty kick – and they will be a tough sell in a round of 16 that promises to be more balanced and uncertain than expected. In the 90 minutes the total number of goals could be less than three and it would not be a surprise if it went into extra time. The Netherlands remain favourites to go through.
The likely line-up for Netherlands-USA
- LAND (3-4-1-2): Noppert; Timber, van Dijk, Aké; Dumfries, de Roon, F. de Jong, Blind; Klaassen; Gakpo, Depay.
- USA (4-3-3): Turner; Dest, Carter-Vickers, Ream, Robinson; McKennie, Adams, Musah; Weah, Sargent, Pulisic.
POSSIBLE RESULT: 1-1