USA vs Netherlands preview
The returnees after a hiatus of 8 years, Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands and Gregg Berhalter’s USA will go against one another in the pre-quarterfinals of the world cup on Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium in Ar-Rayyan, in what will be their first-ever competitive meeting.
Small fishes tumbling over the sharks of the pond has been a common trope of the world cup in Qatar, but the Netherlands have emerged scratch-free from Group A and into the business end of the tournament. They’ve now extended their unbeaten run to 18 games.
Van Gaal has heavily prioritised the stability of his team’s defensive shape, and his three-man defence, spearheaded by Virgil van Dijk, was breached only once in the group stage.
However, when judging the Oranje, it is imperative to keep their style of play on an equal pane as their final outcomes, and the sailing has not been as smooth as desired on that front. Across three games, although they’ve scored 5 goals, their xGs of 0.7, 0.1, and 1.6, versus Qatar, Ecuador, and Senegal respectively, as per FBref, tell a different story.
Playing a flowing style of passing football has not been feasible, especially in the first two matches. A lack of potent combination play from an unsettled forward line, courtesy of Memphis Depay’s absence, has not helped Netherlands’ case.
The Oranje’s solution usually has been to look towards Frenkie de Jong to break through the opposition lines or Cody Gakpo to make something happen out of thin air on the attacking front.
Yet, the performance in the Qatar game coupled with Depay’s improving fitness would offer confidence going into the last 16.
The USA, on the other hand, weathered a mountain of a storm at the end of the Iran game to qualify for the next round. On an overall aggregate, the USA perhaps has been the better team in all the games that they’ve played, and have been rightfully rewarded for the same.
The Yanks’ midfield potency and dominance have been a surprise element for many, as exemplified in the game versus England, where the trio of Weston McKennie, Tyler Adams, and Yunus Musah – completing 101 passes amongst themselves – overpowered their opposition.
While the midfield has been the USA’s engine oil, goalscoring has busted like a flat tire. Netting just 2 goals, they’ve underperformed their xG of 2.5. If the Yanks want to reach the last eight for the first time in 20 years, they will have to address…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at FootTheBall…