The Netherlands defeated the USA 3-1 to advance to the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals thanks to a sharp attacking display and a narrow escape.
Memphis Depay and Daley Blind’s goals gave Netherlands the advantage before halftime, but they were not frightened to let their opposition knock the ball around with little effect.
With 14 minutes left, Haji Wright’s goal for the Stars and Stripes cut the deficit in half, but soon after, the imposing Denzel Dumfries scored Holland’s third goal to send the Americans packing.
Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands team sat back and capitalised on early pressure from the USA, who needed just three minutes to create a clear-cut opportunity. Christian Pulisic, who had been out with a pelvic injury, slipped past the Dutch defense, but his shot was blocked by the 6’7″ Andries Noppert’s long legs.
The Stars and Stripes would soon pay a price for failing to build on their explosive start, as a Netherlands attack culminated in Depay slotting home from Dumfries’ perfectly timed cutback in the 10th minute.
After Depay’s opening goal, the USA team’s sting was diminished. Gregg Berhalter’s team took fewer risks with the ball and, with the exception of a brief period of intent near the end of the first half, left the Dutch defence largely untroubled for the remainder of the half.
The Netherlands will double their advantage in injury time as Dumfries discovered Blind for the left-back to finish 1st time low into the net. Timothy Weah did sting Noppert’s palms with a well-struck half volley in the 43rd minute.
Tim Ream poked the ball toward goal after a corner in the 48th minute of the second half, but Cody Gakpo was there to clear the ball off the line. The second half got off to a similarly chaotic start.
After the USA defender slid to block a Netherlands cross, Matt Turner had to be alert to stop Walker Zimmerman from scoring an own goal. Despite this, the Stars and Stripes were not willing to surrender.
The Netherlands, who had a chance to be out of the game in the 73rd minute but saw Turner make two outstanding saves from Teun Koopmeiners and Steven Bergwijn, comfortably stopped the USA’s fruitless offensive efforts.
Just two minutes later, Dumfries successfully cleared a shot of Wright’s by the goal line, but only 60 seconds later, the American striker would finally break the Netherlands’ defence by flicking a cross from Pulisic over the top of a fumbling Noppert and into the side of the net.
Momentum suddenly shifted to favour the USA, but just five minutes after Wright’s reply, Blind turned supplier for an unmarked Dumfries to volley home with skill at the back post, giving the Netherlands their two-goal lead back.
The Netherlands advance to the Qatar 2022 semifinals with an impressively clinical performance, fending off a challenge from an enthusiastic USA team.
The Oranje, who occasionally felt under pressure, used all of their knowledge and that of their renowned coach to capitalise on the States’ inexperience and score three goals, each involving the unstoppable Dumfries. Though they were momentarily put to the test by a second-half goal, Van Gaal’s team earns a spot in the quarterfinals, with the first being a fluid footballing play reminiscent of their fabled Total Football.
The Group C champions and Group D runners-up will square off in their last-16 match later on Saturday evening, and the Netherlands will now play Argentina or Australia in the quarterfinals.
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