Netherlands vs USA. Prediction and Preview. Probable Lineups, Team News, Stats, and more
The Netherlands will meet with the USA in the FIFA World Cup 2022 last-16 match at the Khalifa International Stadium. The fixture will take place on Saturday, December 3, beginning at 20:30 IST.
The World Cup in Qatar is now on its play-off stage. In the first match of the 1/8 finals, Group A winner the Netherlands and Group B silver medallist the USA will meet to decide who deserves more to progress further. On paper, all the signs are in favor of the Dutch. They confidently won their quartet, winning two games out of three. Team USA, on the other hand, struggled for a long time, only suffering a playoff berth in the last game. However, now there is no time to think about the past, there is only the here and now, and even the slightest incidental detail can become decisive.
Parimatchnews will tell you everything you need to know ahead of the upcoming game.
Don`t miss out 👉: FIFA World Cup 2022: revealing squads, full schedule, chances to win, prize pool and more
Netherlands News & Current Form:
The Netherlands were very confident in the group stage in Qatar and were deservedly placed first in their quartet. The team was well-strengthened and showed cohesion and understanding between the players on the field. One conceded goal in three meetings only confirms that the Dutch are solid in defense and their attack is also of a high standard.
Louis van Gaal‘s men confidently left the group in the first place, but they are clearly playing well below expectations. In terms of ball control, Louis van Gaal’s team outclassed their opponents in all three games played. With Senegal, it was a lucky mistake by Mendy – before that the Netherlands had been very disappointing (and even conceded on penalties). The victory over Qatar should not be taken seriously at all – the hosts of the tournament would have been beaten by anyone who qualified for the World Cup. But a draw against Ecuador is another sign that the Orange can be punished. Like any team that achieves results solely through the class of its players.
First and foremost, the likes of Cody Gakpo. The 23-year-old from PSV Eindhoven is already on the radar of top clubs (notably Manchester United, who see the player as a replacement for Cristiano Ronaldo), but his price tag increases with every game at the 2022 World Cup. Gakpo already has three goals under his name (right foot, left foot and head), with only four shots on frame. That means the forward’s efficiency is almost outstanding. Moreover, the midfielder’s success in Qatar is no accident – Gakpo is having an overall overachieving season, scoring 17 goals and making 18 assists in 29 games.
The same number of goals for the Netherlands at the World Cup was scored by the legendary Johan Cruyff. He appeared at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, where he scored against Brazil and Argentina (twice).
In the final meeting of the group, Gakpo was joined by Depay, another superstar, who was gently guided to the play-offs.
Depay missed quite a long time before the World Cup because of an injury, and even in Qatar, he started the first two matches from the bench. It was only in the third meeting with the hosts of the World Cup that he started the game in the starting line-up, although he did not play it to the end.
After the match against Qatar, Louis van Gaal said about Depay:
“We are changing the game through Depay and he is incredibly important to the team. Yes, he hasn’t been on the field for two months, but if we want to become world champions, Depay has to play.”
We should also mention goalkeeper Andries Noppert. He made his debut for the national team at the World Cup in Qatar and so far he looks very solid for a debutant – the only goal he has conceded in three games in the group stage was the result of an error by his defenders who allowed Ecuadorian Enner Valencia to head in the rebound after Noppert stopped the first shot.
But in the 1/8 finals, the Netherlands will have a rather dangerous opponent. The USA had a very smooth run, botching the end with Wales and conceding an important win. Impressed in the match against England, but only scored one point. And in the key moment, when only three points were needed, they crushed Iran before the break and held on to the result in the second half. Both models worked, although it was very tough at the end. The Netherlands are favorites, but you have to prepare for dynamic football, high speed and sparks on the pitch – that’s what everyone expects from the Dutch.
This is the ninth time the Netherlands have played in the World Cup. The team’s highest achievement at the world championships has been reaching the final three times (in 1974, 1978 and 2010).
By reaching the 1/8 finals, the Netherlands have set a WC record – the Europeans have made the play-offs for the ninth time out of nine times, the best result of any country.
Louis van Gaal, who is leading the Netherlands at his second Mundial, also set a coaching record – he has not suffered a single defeat in ten World Cup matches. In 2014, his team reached the semi-finals, losing the deciding game to Argentina only in a penalty shoot-out. In the bronze-medal match, the Dutch confidently defeated Brazil.
USA News & Current Form:
The USA’s best-ever World Cup appearance (ignoring pre-war history) was a quarterfinal appearance in the sensational 2002 tournament. This is the second tournament in Asia and it is being held at an unusual time. A whole set of factors unusual for the strongest teams (time, climate, the tournament’s rare politicization) gives more chances to the second-ranked teams.
In recent decades, however, football itself has changed for the better in the States.
In the US, football is no longer treated as the fifth wheel of the country’s playing sports. And now football has overtaken hockey in popularity, and soon it may well overtake baseball. The average age of a baseball fan in the country is 57 years old, while people aged about 35 are interested in football. In the 12 to 24 age group, football comes in a solid second place.
Americans have become actively interested in European football, as evidenced by record contracts with the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA). In August, UEFA signed a new deal with American broadcasters to receive $1.5bn for broadcasting European competitions in the US over the next six years. Compared to the previous contract, the amount has more than doubled.
The most talented young Americans prefer to move to Europe at a young age. Current U.S. national team leader Christian Pulisic moved to Borussia Dortmund when he was 16. The German club is considered a great stepping stone to further his career, and in 2019. Chelsea bought Pulisic from Borussia Dortmund for €64m. Giovanni Reina turned 20 on the eve of the World Cup, and he has been at BVB for almost three years now, and this is certainly not the last stop in his career.
Midfielder Brenden Aaronson began his European career with another top-flight incubator, RB Salzburg, before joining Leeds United this summer for €33m. Defender Serginho Dest has been at Ajax and Barcelona and currently plays on loan for AC Milan. Forward Weston McKenney plays for Juventus.
Musician Diplo supporting American team:
In this Mundial, the Americans kept Wales (1-1) and Iran (1-0) outside the playoffs in Qatar and managed to hold on to their lead against top-seeded England (0-0).
The main drama of the day was in the match between Iran and the USA. The defense was good, the Americans held the ball and cut down the counterattacks, but the sharpness was hard to come by.
Iran, on the other hand, made a lot of mistakes in the transitional episodes, losing their importance: the counterattacks failed and the Americans restored their tactical formations.
On one occasion, the United States stitched up their opponents: Pirlo-style McKennie crossed to the right flank, Sergio Dest got to that pass and made a shot that was headed towards goal that was closed in by Christian Pulisic.
After the break, the States went into a holding pattern. Spectators and analysts were critical of their positional defense against a mediocre Wales, but Iran were quite bad offensively. Carlos Queiroz’s team made too many mistakes, with variety in attack limited to very unprepared passes. Surprisingly, the Americans had no trouble defending and sealed the win. In this case, the stronger team won.
The Netherlands are the clear favorites for the game, but much of the game will depend on the condition of the key players for their respective teams – Memphis Depay for the Netherlands and Christian Pulisic for the USA.
The USA’s main star Christian Pulisic, who scored the decisive goal against Iran, was injured in the game and watched the match not even from the bench, but already from the hospital.
Christian Pulisic about his injury:
However, the examination revealed no serious injuries and the English Chelsea forward will almost certainly appear in the match against the Netherlands. However, his injury was quite painful and it is difficult to say in advance if it will not affect him during the game. In any case, the young U.S. national team at this World Cup has already clearly demonstrated that they should not be underestimated in any way. Even against England, they did not concede anything to a status opponent and perhaps it is safe to assume that the Netherlands will not play easily in the 1/8 finals either.
Netherlands form guide: W-W-W-W-D-W
USA form guide: D-L-D-D-D-W
Netherlands vs USA: Head-To-Head Record:
| Netherlands | Draw | USA |
| 4 | 0 | 1 |
- February 21, 1998: Netherlands 2-0 USA (International Friendly);
- May 19, 2002: Netherlands 2-0 USA (International Friendly);
- February 18, 2004: Netherlands 1-0 USA (International Friendly);
- March 3, 2010: Netherlands 2-1 USA (International Friendly);
- June 5, 2015: Netherlands 3-4 USA (International Friendly).
The teams had never met in a World Cup before, only in friendlies. The last one, in 2015, was extraordinary: the Netherlands led 3-1 at home until the 70th minute, but managed to concede three goals in the last 20 minutes and lost.
Netherlands vs USA Predicted XI:
Netherlands’ possible starting lineup (3-4-1-2): Noppert, Timber, Van Dijk, Ake, Dumfries, De Roon, F. De Jong, Blind, Klaassen, Gakpo, Depay.
USA’s possible starting lineup (4-4-2): Turner, Dest, Carter-Vickers, Ream, Robinson, McKennie, Adams, Musah, Weah, Sargent, Pulisic.
Statistical preview of the match Netherlands vs USA:
- Netherland’s First XI average age 27.6 yrs.
- Usa’s First XI average age 24.9 yrs.
- Team from the Netherlands is ranked 8th in the FIFA ranking.
- Team from the USA is ranked 16th in the FIFA ranking.
- Netherlands have not lost in each of their last 7 FIFA World Cup games.
- USA have not won in 13 of the last 14 away games.
- Netherlands have scored in 25 of the last 26 games.
- Netherlands have scored less than 2.5 goals in 5 of the last 6 FIFA World Cup games.
- USA have scored less than 1.5 goals in 6 of the last 7 FIFA World Cup games.
- USA have not lost in 8 of the last 9 games.
What has been said before the match:
Louis van Gaal, the Orange coach, said:
“It’s a process and perhaps the USA hadn’t expected that from this squad, but if you watch them play, it’s crystal clear they’ve had opportunities. I don’t think it’s a surprise to be quite frank”.
“The USA has an excellent ‘team’. I would say one of the best ‘teams’, fine-tuned. It’s going to be a very tough match. But it’s nothing we can’t overcome. We also have a good team, that’s my view. We’ll have to wait and see in this match which of the two squads is the best. I’m not going to downplay the USA. On the contrary, they’re an example of what a good team is supposed to be”.
“What I observe is a vision. What I see is a team that is keen to execute that vision, which is of the utmost importance, and I see the conviction, especially the conviction of the players. So that for a coach must be fantastic”.
“In 2014 we were the best squad on the pitch but lost because of penalties. I learned from those lessons. In order to increase those chances, we need the person who has to take the penalty to have all the confidence needed to shoot the penalty, same goes for the goalkeeper”.
“We want to become world champions, so we’ve got another four matches ahead of us and then we’ll see if there are any offers on the table”.
“If we become world champions, then, everybody is so opportunistic in this football world, there will be offers. I know that fully well”.
American coach, Gregg Berhalter, said:
“I went to Holland just out of university and (was) totally unprepared for professional level soccer. If I wasn’t in Holland, I don’t think I would have had that building that really helped shape my ideas.”
“We deserve to be in the position we’re in and we want to keep going. So for us, it’s about how we recover from this game and prepare to play against a very good Dutch team, very well coached, with tons of quality all over the field, and we have to come up with an idea of how to beat them”.
“I’m laughing because there’s always criticism in Holland. How many Bond (national team) coaches are there in Holland? Sixteen million. Isn’t that what they say? Seventeen million now?. I think Louis van Gaal has tough enough skin. He realizes that his job is to deliver wins”.
Sergiño Dest, American player born in the Netherlands, said:
“It’s going to be a pretty fun one, playing against the country I was born in. I know almost every single guy over there”.
Netherlands vs USA Prediction:
The Netherlands did not achieve their full potential in the group stage – with the only exception of the match against Qatar, where the Netherlands were far superior in class, but even there their performance was far from ideal. That said, the Dutch are fairly consistent and can produce a result even when their performance isn’t the best. Against the United States, the Orange are the favorites, and they’ll justify their status – they’ve got a big advantage in experience and class.
The Netherlands have been very high-scoring in qualifiers and in the UEFA Nations League, but in the World Cup group stage they have been very modest in this respect. At the same time, it cannot be said that there are no serious problems with finishing, and considering the US team does not close down defensively — the Oranges can finally fully unleash their attacking potential. But the Americans also have a quality in the final third and they certainly won’t let their quarterfinal berth go unscathed.
As they showed in their game against England, the young USA team look poised for bigger games. There is confidence in their abilities, speed, and assertiveness. In general, Berhalter has brought together a quality squad. In terms of names the Americans are not inferior to their future opponent with only Cody Gakpo playing at the highest level so far. In all their matches against more or less serious rivals (Ecuador, Senegal), the Dutch have had problems. They will clearly have trouble with the audacious Americans.
In the group stage, the USA did not show exactly how they could progress to the quarter-finals, and yes, they have great physics, but it is unclear whether they have any strategies in place and whether they can step on the accelerator when it will be needed. The Dutch didn’t exactly shine either, but there’s a feeling that they weren’t going to lay everything on the line in a group with passable opponents – they knew they’d end up in the play-offs anyway. The real strength of Louis van Gaal’s team will be seen in the game with the USA, and given that the Netherlands were very good in the same Nations League a couple of months ago, they will need to step up and knock their rivals out of the tournament.
Parimatch News staff prediction:
We say: both teams to score and the Netherlands to win – Yes.
Don`t miss out 👉: Jamshedpur vs Kerala Blasters: Preview and Prediction
