It’s the third straight World Cup the United States males’s nationwide group has performed in the place it reached the knockout stage. Losses to Ghana and Belgium in 2010 and 2014, respectively, denied the Americans a possibility to win a sport past the group stage for the primary time on the quadrennial occasion towards a group not from North America. The USMNT’s solely knockout stage win was in 2022 towards Mexico, when it limped its approach into the Round of 16 earlier than dos-a-ceroing its largest rival on the worldwide stage.
Yunus Musah and Gio Reyna weren’t even alive when the U.S. gained its solely knockout match 20 years in the past. Both ought to be central figures in Saturday’s likelihood to buck the pattern towards The Netherlands. Reyna has barely performed on the World Cup thus far, boggling the minds of USMNT followers. With information of Christian Pulisic being cleared to play towards the Dutch following a pelvic contusion, and the identical information not popping out for Josh Sargent, it’s protected to imagine he gained’t play. It’s additionally dumb to play Haji Wright once more in Qatar after how ineffective he’s seemed in all three group stage video games. And if U.S. head coach Gregg Berhalter turns to Jesus Ferreira to start out towards The Netherlands, he’s actually not placing his finest 11 gamers on the sphere.
Reyna or Brenden Aaronson want to start out within the entrance three of assault, alongside Pulisic, with Tim Weah finishing the group as a false-nine within the center. Aaronson has performed in all three of the Americans’ video games to this point within the event and certain has the leg as much as play extra towards Holland, however Reyna not seeing the sphere as a starter or the primary man off the bench can be a travesty. That’s actually the one personnel concern the United States has heading into its knockout sport, which is somewhat surprising to see how its top-line expertise hasn’t faltered.
I don’t care whether or not Cameron Carter-Vickers or Walker Zimmerman begins apart from Tim Ream at central protection. Both have been nice. There’s no cause to doubt Antonee Robinson or Sergiño Dest at fullback both. It’s unusual that each American outdoors backs will face their beginning nations on the event. Robinson has a British father, whereas Dest has a Dutch mom. He was capable of signify Holland or America on the worldwide degree. Dest additionally spent his whole youth profession and the primary cease of his skilled profession in The Netherlands. Over these 11 years, it’s protected to say he bumped into a couple of gamers the USA will face on Saturday. One defender that shouldn’t see the sphere once more in Qatar? Shaq Moore, who raised his hand and stated “my bad” greater than he did the best factor in his two appearances towards England and Iran.
Matt Turner has been steady at goalkeeper. The midfield of Musah, Tyler Adams, and Weston McKennie appears locked in for not solely the remainder of this event, however in all probability the 2026 World Cup as properly. Adams has been one of the best participant for the USA on the event and if the USMNT goes to beat the Dutch, he’ll must put out a ton of fires from a potent Holland assault. If Adams is off his sport, the Americans will probably be on a airplane again stateside on Sunday.
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The breakout star of the event to this point is Cody Gakpo, an integral a part of the Netherlands, who will doubtless be a part of a giant membership this coming winter or summer time due to his play in Qatar. He’s bagged three targets within the event thus far and I’d wager on him including to that whole towards the United States. And clearly, scoring is paramount to successful and the USMNT has averaged lower than a aim per sport on the World Cup thus far. That gained’t lower it from right here on out, clearly, which is why it’s so essential for Berhalter to make these little personnel modifications.
The Netherlands is the deserved favourite coming into the sport. The Americans are additionally wanting like one of many harder groups to beat nonetheless alive in Qatar. Through three video games, no group has scored on the U.S. within the common run of play. That’s actually spectacular, and the USMNT is the one group to carry that distinction. It doubtless ends towards the Dutch, however that’s not a assured airplane ticket for the Americans. The USA nonetheless hasn’t scored a second-half aim within the event both and I believe that ends towards the Dutch. Still, I don’t know if this U.S. aspect is able to take down a world energy, regardless of The Netherlands’ faults. I’m calling a 3-1 victory for the Dutch.