The Netherlands and the United States meet for the first Round of 16 clash of the 2022 FIFA World Cup at the Khalifa International Stadium in Doha.
The Oranje shirts secured a 2-0 victory over hosts Qatar to secure the top berth in Group A while the USA grabbed the second spot behind England in Group B through a 1-0 win over Iran.
NED vs USA Match Details
Date: Saturday, 03 December 2022
Time: 18:00 (AST) / 20:30 (IST)
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium, Doha
NED vs USA Match Preview
The Netherlands are eyeing a quarterfinal berth in their third World Cup participation in 12 years after they finish at this stage in the 2006 edition. It was the knockout stage Louis van Gaal's side dreamt of for the 2022 World Cup after missing out on the tournament completely four years ago. He guided the nation to a third-place finish in 2014 and a repeat or better of it this time will certainly term this edition a successful one for the Dutch. Before all of it, they had to face an ambitious USA team showing their talent on the stage. Louis van Gaal's side finished top of their group after a late 2-0 win against Senegal, a 1-1 draw against Ecuador and then convincingly striking out Qatar in the final game by two goals. There was little doubt the Dutch making it alive out of a less threatening group they will have to show their true mantle in the knockouts now. Any wrong step in this phase of the competition has no other chance of getting back as it becomes more serious. Even though the Netherlands got the job done in terms of results, the football they played was not entirely convincing. This remains a concern ahead of the clash. Their vast experience in the knockout phase and their impressive 18 games unbeaten record in all competitions should help them. This team is yet to lose since Van Gaal took charge and the manager himself has not tasted defeat in the last 11 World Cup games he has managed. Certainly, these records seem to give the Netherlands an edge over the USA.
Also Read | Netherlands’s Squad for FIFA World Cup 2022 & Team Profile and FIFA World Cup 2022: Netherlands - World Cup Records and Stats
However, the Star and Stripes are definitely not fearful of the records giving an advantage to their opposition on Saturday after coming out of a challenging group. The USA played out a 1-1 draw against Wales to begin their 2022 World Cup campaign. That translated to another huge result as they restricted England, who scored six in the first game, from scoring in a 0-0 draw. Gregg Berhalter's side then wrapped up a crucial 1-0 win in a politically charged encounter against Iran in the final group stage game to secure the last qualification berth in the group. Victory over Iran also marked the first win in six matches across all tournaments for the Stars and Stripes. Wales lost their last two matches to make more space for them to grab. Everything about the victory tasted sweeter barring one in which talisman Christian Pulisic, who scored the only goal of the game, was substituted with a possible pelvic contusion suffered. However, he has called himself fine after posting a congratulatory message on social media from his hospital bed. His presence will be vital for the United States as they hope to reach the quarterfinals of the World Cup for the third time. The Netherlands will be a gigantic task to overcome in the last 16 stage from where they have been eliminated in the 2006 and 2010 editions. After the 2002 World Cup, they have not won against a nation from Europe including defeats in their last three knockout participations facing such oppositions. The United States have also lost four of the first five encounters against the Dutch although the latest one ended in a thrilling 4-3 win in 2015. With both teams gracing the finals after four years, this game will be an even bigger fight to stay in the tournament for at least another stage.
Check here USA’s Squad for FIFA World Cup 2022 & Team Profile and FIFA World Cup 2022: USA - World Cup Records and Stats
Recent Form (World Cup)
NED: WDW
USA: DDW
NED vs USA Predicted Lineups
NED: Noppert; Timber, Van Dijk, Ake; Denzel Dumfries, De Roon, Frenkie de Jong, Daley Blind; Davy Klaassen; Cody Gakpo, Memphis Depay
USA: Matt Turner; Serginio Dest, Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Antoniee Robinson; Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah; Timothy Weah, Josh Sargent, Christian Pulisic
NED vs USA Dream11 Team Prediction
GK: Noppert (8.5)
DEF: Dest (9), Ream (7), Van Dijk (8.5), Blind (8)
MID: Pulisic (9), F De Jong (9), Adams (7), Klaassen (8.5)
FW: Depay (8), Gakpo (9)
Vice-captain: Frenkie de Jong
Captain: Cody Gakpo
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