The FIFA World Cup rolls on into the knockout stages as Netherlands share a pitch with USA in the first of eight instalments in the last-16.
This will be a first World Cup showdown between these two nations. In fact, never before have they gone head-to-head in a competitive match-up; each of their five previous meetings were friendlies.
Netherlands topped Group A, meanwhile the USMNT came runners-up in Group B.
After missing the 2018 World Cup, the Netherlands stamped their mark on return to the world stage with two wins and a draw. The Dutch conceded just one goal across their three group games.
Die Oranje reached the semis (or beyond) at each of their last two World Cup showings, collecting a bronze medal in Brazil 2014 before ending runners-up four years earlier in South Africa.
The men in orange are perhaps the best nation to never celebrate World Cup success, having reached the final on three occasions (1974; 1978; 2010) without emerging victorious. No other nation has taken the silver medal more times without actually winning the World Cup. In 1998, they made the last-four but lost on penalties to eventual runners-up Brazil.
(Photo: FIFA via Getty Images)
Netherlands boss Louis van Gaal prepares for his last dance at the World Cup following almost four decades in football management.
The 71-year-old is officially the third-oldest manager in World Cup history and, should he guide his team to the semi-finals as he did in 2014, the Dutch coach would rise into second place in that category.
Van Gaal revealed earlier this year he had been receiving treatment for an aggressive form of prostate cancer. This World Cup will be his parting act with Die Oranje, and presumably his managerial career awhole, and he will pass over the reigns to Ronald Koeman from the start of 2023.
(Photo: Getty Images)
Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo found the net in all three group games to become the first Dutchman to achieve this feat. The 23-year-old is the first Netherlands player to score three goals in the group stage since Robin van Persie in 2014.
Prior to Qatar 2022, Gakpo had played nine times for his national team, scoring three times, and he has since double his international goal tally in the desert state.
Cody Gakpo for Club & Country this season:
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) November 29, 2022
👕 32 appearances
⚽ 18 goals
🅰️ 18 assists
Unreal productivity. 🌟 pic.twitter.com/4jAgpkFLHu
In Group B, Team USA progressed as runners-up after edging Iran in their last of three group encounters. USMNT leaked a single goal in 270 minutes, a Gareth Bale penalty, and they have yet to concede from open play at Qatar 2022.
Team USA is flooded with young talent which many expect to be the cornerstone of the USMNT for years to come. Tyler Adams, 23, became the youngest captain at the tournament for almost 75 years, and the midfielder exudes heaps of maturity and composure both on the pitch as well as in front of the media.
Class and respect from Tyler Adams with the way he handled this question today 👏#USMNT #USAvIran #USA pic.twitter.com/Jlr1yeSyB2
— 365Scores (@365Scores) November 28, 2022
Forward player Christian Pulisic is expected to be involved versus the Dutch, after he picked up a knock whilst bundling the ball over the goal line against Iran. U.S. Soccer confirmed Friday that the 24-year-old has been cleared to play in the Round of 16 tie.
USA boasts the second-youngest squad at the 2022 World Cup, with an average age of 24 years, and all but three of their 26 players are aged under 30. DeAndre Yedlin is the only squad member with previous World Cup experience under his belt, after he was included in the roster for the 2014 event.
USA were one of just 12 participating countries in the maiden edition of the World Cup. Present day, the Stars and Stripes reached the knockouts for the fifth time in eight attempts since 1990.
Netherlands are favourites to seal a place in the quarter-finals, with 1.95 (-105) odds to win; USA are at 4.33 (+333) to win; 3.20 (+220) for a draw after regular time. Cody Gakpo is priced 4.33 (+333) to score anytime in the match. (Bet365)
