Netherlands national team has advanced to the Quarter-Finals after beating USA national team 3-1 in the FIFA World Cup 2022 round of 16 at Khalifa International Stadium.
The first dangerous opportunity was created by the representatives of the USA. In the 3rd minute Tyler Adams won the fight for the ball with Davy Klaassen and played into the penalty area to Christian Pulisic, who found himself in a good position to open the scoring. Andries Noppert saved the Chelsea winger’s strike.
The unused situation took revenge on the Americans in the 10th minute. After a good action by the Dutch, Denzel Dumfries crossed flat from the right side of the field into the penalty area, and the unattended Memphis Depay hit the first ball from 14 meters at the left post to make it 1-0 for the Netherlands.
Gregg Berhalter’s men did not let themselves be pushed into the defense and they led the game, even having a few chances to equalize. The US players either missed the last pass (as in the case of Pulisic’s inaccurate play) or Noppert intercepted well, who managed to deflect Tim Weah’s powerful shot.
Netherlands successfully defended and patiently waited for the opportunity to increase the lead. It came in extra time in the first half. After a throw-in from the right side of the pitch, Dumfries with a flat pass pulled the ball back 11 meters, and Daley Blind finished the action, hitting the left post to make it 2-0 for the Netherlands.
After changing sides, the picture of the game has not changed. The Americans were more often on the ball, looking for opportunities to score a contact goal, and the Netherlands waited for the rivals’ mistakes and looked for opportunities in instant counter-attacks. Memphis Depay was close to 3-0 after Ream’s situation. Again, Dumfries played from the right, but the Barcelona striker’s shot from close range was saved by a well-positioned Matt Turner.
The USA goalkeeper also showed a successful save in the 61st minute, when he converted Depay’s precise shot from outside the box over the crossbar, and 10 minutes later, when he saved first Teun Koopmeiners’ strike and then Depay’s rebound.
In the 75th minute, Gregg Berhalter’s team came close to scoring a contact goal. A fatal mistake by Depay, who withdrew the ball straight to the rival, however, was not used by Haji Wright, whose shot in the short corner was knocked out by the defender of the goalkeeper Dumfries.
Wright corrected himself a few seconds later. After Pulisic played from the right side of the penalty area, the Antalyaspor player with a somewhat lucky but very effective shot hit the left post to make it 1-2.
The hopes of the Americans to reverse the fate of the meeting did not last long, however. In the 81st minute, Blind crossed from the left side of the field to the far post, and Dumfries, closing the action with a left foot shot into the long corner, made the match 3-1.
Credit Photo : FIFA
