World Cup: Netherlands intercept USA on way to ‘Qatar-final’ place
Netherlands through to the last eight
The Netherlands never looked overly stressed in beating the USA 3-1 to be the first nation to reach the quarter finals at Qatar 2022.
Until the last 15 minutes that is, as the Americans knew it was the last chance saloon and threw all they had into the fray.
They did have their moments in the match, but were endlessly thwarted by an organised and methodical Dutch side that continually intercepted passes and mounted counter-attacks.
The USA men were always playing catch-up, but the direction of the game could have altered as early as the third minute when star player Christian Pulisic – deemed fit to play after an injury scare – found himself one-on-one with the giant (6’8”) Andries Noppert in goal, a man who was plucked from nowhere as a surprise ‘penalty saver’ selection.
Alas, Captain America saw his shot blocked off the leg of the Dutch stopper, who should perhaps have a revolving red light on his head to alert air traffic.
The men in orange went ahead when they scored on 10 minutes with a patient team goal created after 20 passes, with almost every player touching the ball.
Cody Gakpo fed overlapping defender Denzel Dumfries, who cut the ball back for an unmarked Memphis Depay to sweep sweetly home (1-0).
The second Dutch goal, just on half time, was a cut-and-paste job, man of the match Dumfries this time pulling the ball back for defender Daley Blind – of all people – to drill it at pace into the same bottom left corner (2-0).
There was only one option for the USA as the teams returned to the pitch, and they had three clear-cut early chances.
Mat Turner showed he was equal to his counterpart in the opposite goal with super saves to twice deny Depay and also clear off his line in a ‘crowded house’ moment.
Weah and McKennie were subbed on the hour and the fresh legs were making a difference.
The USA would halve the deficit in the 75th minute with a goal that neither Noppert nor the scorer Haji Wright knew much about as a Pulisic cross got a fortunate, unintended clip off Wright’s heel and looped upwards and onwards into the Dutch goal (2-1).
Sniffing a comeback, the Americans piled on the pressure but would again concede when Dumfries, unmarked on the back post, was found by Blind and his first-time volley left Turner spectating (3-1).
That’s how it ended and Holland are through to the last eight, full of optimism.
