Netherlands v USA: World Cup 2022, last 16 – live

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In the Netherlands’ favor …

Well, they’re the Netherlands, right?

But are they a classic Dutch team? As “the guy who knows soccer” in many a social setting, I’m often asked to give ad hoc scouting reports of US opponents. “Oh, the Netherlands are great,” I said. “They have great players like …”

Um …

OK, OK – Virgil van Dijk, yes. He’s the bedrock of many a recent Liverpool success.

Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong is great, even if Barcelona isn’t really Barcelona these days. (Sergi?o Dest, incidentally, is a Barcelona player on loan to AC Milan, and he grew up in the Netherlands at Ajax, which rivals Barcelona in the race to be The Most Lauded Youth Academy on Earth.)

Their goalkeeper, Andries Noppert, is … tall.

And Cody Gakpo is still relatively unknown because PSV Eindhoven isn’t a glamour team these days, but that’s going to change when a big club or three. comes calling after this Cup.

With that, I’ve ripped off most of Tom Dart’s scouting report, but please do read the rest:

Oh – and they’re not dull, insists Louis van Gaal.

In the USA’s favor …

Eric Wynalda, whose long history with the US team includes a goal in the 1994 World Cup, says this US team has a greatgoalkeeper in Matt Turner, a much-scrutinized player delivering the goods in Christian Pulisic, a solid defense, and a captain who inspires on and off the field in Tyler Adams.

And please do read more about Tyler Adams. His midfield tenacity is crucial, giving the US outside backs the freedom to attack, something that paid off against Iran when Sergi?o Dest put in the cross for Pulisic. And his composure in a press conference when asked a delicate question on race relations should be the envy of any world leader.

Welcome to The Biggest US Men’s Game Since the Last One …

It’s typical of a World Cup, of course, for each game to be “bigger” than the last, and we knew that about the US when we saw the draw.

Wales? OK, fine, typical group-stage game.

England? Now we’re talking. The Land Where the Game Began has a losing record against the US in the World Cup. (And still does.)

Iran? Uh oh. Flashbacks to 1998 and The Biggest Humiliation the US Ever Had in a World Cup. And a game that would surely determine whether they would advance.

So this game, against … (checks notes) … the Netherlands is “bigger” in the sense that it’s a round of 16 game.

But it feels different, doesn’t it? The concern that the US would embarrass itself has disappeared. Now, they’re playing with house money. Is that the right term? I don’t know gambling.

So it’s a different type of nerves. Being the underdog is fun.

And this is winnable, isn’t it? The oddsmakers generally give the Netherlands a 50% chance of winning outright, and then “draw” and “US win” split the other 50%. This being a knockout-stage game, “draw” means “penalties,” and which team will be feeling the pressure then?

This should be fun. Let’s talk for a bit and then watch, shall we?

Beau will be here shortly, but in the meantime here’s how the two teams’ campaigns have gone so far.

How USA got here

In the opener, the US came storming out the gates and looked like they would carve up Wales for a convincing victory after Tim Weah’s goal. But the Americans faded badly in the second period and the game ended in a 1-1 draw.

USA then faced England, and maintained their unbeaten record against the Three Lions at the World Cup. The Americans were the better team but could not convert their chances in a 0-0 draw.

The US needed to beat Iran in their final group game, and did so thanks to Christian Pulisic’s effort, in which he definitely did not injure his unmentionables. The 1-0 victory sent the Americans through as Group B runners-up

How Netherlands got here

The Dutch left it late in their opening game, with their first goal coming in the 84th minute of their 2-0 victory. They also relied on a good performance from their keeper, Andries Noppert.

Cody Gakpo scored an early goal but the Dutch were put under pressure for large parts of the game in their 1-1 draw with Ecuador.

Gakpo was dangerous again as Netherlands coasted to a 2-0 win over the already eliminated hosts in their victory against Qatar. The win meant they progressed as group winners, even as manager Louis van Gaal bristled at suggestions watching his team is like “grinding teeth”.