2022 FIFA Men's World Cup, Featured, USMNT

USA vs. Netherlands in the World Cup: The TYAC Preview

Captain America, Tyler Adams, and the United States will play their first knockout soccer match at a World Cup in 8 years on Saturday.

Neil W. Blackmon, Jon Levy and Sanjay Sujanthakumar

After an eight year absence, the United States Men’s National Team returns to the World Cup knockout rounds Saturday when they take on The Netherlands (FOX, 10 AM ET).

The Americans enter the knockout stage unbeaten for the second time this century, having done that in 2010 in South Africa. That knockout stage trip ended in heartache, with a loss to Ghana in extra time. The Americans also found their way to extra time in 2014, thanks to the heroism of Tim Howard, before falling to Belgium late. 

Can the US Men’s National Team return to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 20 years? To do so, they’ll need to beat the most storied soccer nation to never win the World Cup, The Netherlands. The three-time World Cup finalists won Group A, defeating host Qatar and the stylish African side Senegal and drawing Ecuador in the group stage. Coached by the legendary Louis van Gaal, on his third go-round leading the Oranje, The Netherlands are hopeful that a fourth World Cup final- this time with a happier ending- is in the offing later this month. 

Without further Freddy Adu, let’s do the TYAC preview. It’s been a while. Too damn long, really. The usuals, followed by the specifics. 

Series: The Netherlands lead, 4-1-0. 

This is the first meeting between the two sides in a competitive match. The US won the last meeting, 4-3, in Amsterdam in 2015, thanks at least in part to this rocket goal by Danny Williams. 

Neil W. Blackmon, Jon Levy and Sanjay Sujanthakumar

After an eight year absence, the United States Men’s National Team returns to the World Cup knockout rounds Saturday when they take on The Netherlands (FOX, 10 AM ET).

The Americans enter the knockout stage unbeaten for the second time this century, having done that in 2010 in South Africa. That knockout stage trip ended in heartache, with a loss to Ghana in extra time. The Americans also found their way to extra time in 2014, thanks to the heroism of Tim Howard, before falling to Belgium late. 

Can the US Men’s National Team return to the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time in 20 years? To do so, they’ll need to beat the most storied soccer nation to never win the World Cup, The Netherlands. The three-time World Cup finalists won Group A, defeating host Qatar and the stylish African side Senegal and drawing Ecuador in the group stage. Coached by the legendary Louis van Gaal, on his third go-round leading the Oranje, The Netherlands are hopeful that a fourth World Cup final- this time with a happier ending- is in the offing later this month. 

Without further Freddy Adu, let’s do the TYAC preview. It’s been a while. Too damn long, really. The usuals, followed by the specifics. 

Series: The Netherlands lead, 4-1-0. 

This is the first meeting between the two sides in a competitive match. The US won the last meeting, 4-3, in Amsterdam in 2015, thanks at least in part to this rocket goal by Danny Williams. 

 

The Netherlands won the other four meetings, the most famous, err…infamous… coming in World Cup preparations in 2010 when Nigel de Jong’s late, spikes-up tackle of blossoming American midfielder Stu Holden injured the young American’s leg significantly, limiting his 2010 World Cup contributions and ultimately, changing the trajectory of his once-promising career. The US won’t scream “For Stu” in “Remember the Alamo” fashion Saturday night in Al Rayyan, but I can’t promise American Outlaws the world wide won’t be thinking it. 

Weather: 75 and clear at kickoff.

Of course, they have outside air-conditioning in Qatar, so who really knows what it will feel like Saturday evening in Al Rayyan. Maybe Jean Baudrillard was right, and we’re all just living in a simulation? Either way, it’s perfect soccer weather. 

Matt Turner celebrates as the US closes out its win over Iran in the World Cup on Tuesday.

What to Watch for from the United States, by Sanjay Sujanthakumar:

What to Watch for from the United States:

When the referee blew the whistle after nearly ten minutes of stoppage time, there was an overwhelming sense of relief. The USMNT hung on to defeat Iran 1-0 and reach the Round of 16. To reach redemption. Tuesday night’s showdown was dripping with drama before it kicked off, and the match would be a fitting climax for an American men’s program on a mission to regain respect of its own country. 

That mission has been accomplished.

And the stated objective of changing the way the world views American men’s soccer?

There’s undoubtedly been significant progress, although the assumption entering Qatar had been that that would earnestly happen with a deep run in 2026, when a more experienced side in its prime will have home field advantage.  But now, with even Charles Barkley a believer – yes, that same Charles Barkley – the USMNT will face a nation in the Round of 16 that definitively changed the way the world views soccer itself. 

The DNA of possession-based, harmonious modern soccer is Dutch.

The Netherlands has had an outsized influence on the evolution of the sport in general, and its ties to the USMNT today are noticeable. US Soccer Sporting Director Earnie Stewart was born and raised in the Netherlands, his former USMNT teammate and current manager Gregg Berhalter spent the first part of his pro career there, and the USMNT’s star right back Sergiño Dest was also – like Stewart – a dual-national bred in the Netherlands. 

There will be respect, sure. But no fear. Legendary manager Louis van Gaal may be at the helm , but this version of the Oranje are beatable. It’s an opportunity for Berhalter’s team to make an emphatic statement that American men’s soccer has truly arrived, and there’s reason to be optimistic that can happen. 

The main one?

The USMNT didn’t concede a goal from open play and only allowed 2.3 expected goals in the group stage. Even England’s vaunted attack hardly troubled Matt Turner, whose distribution and shot-stopping has been superb. The back line deserves its share of superlatives too, 35 year-old Tim Ream in particular. Ream has been one of the top defenders in the whole tournament, a rock and calming presence at LCB. The midfield shield, captain Tyler Adams, is statistically a machine by global standards. With and without the ball, when we’re not desperately clinging to a lead, Berhalter’s side looks in sync and confident.  

 

In terms of the lineup – excluding injury concerns – the only question appears to be at center back. Berhalter replaced Walker Zimmerman with Cameron Carter-Vickers on Tuesday, a risky decision considering the fact that CCV had never previously partnered with Tim Ream in a game. Berhalter’s logic was completely understandable: CCV is tasked weekly with breaking down opponents in a low block for Celtic, so he was better suited in possession as well as covering the space behind the high American line against Iran. CCV was stellar, yet the Dutch will be more proactive in possession than Team Melli. My guess is Zimmerman, who was splendid late in the game off the bench, returns to the XI. 

Josh Sargent (ankle) and Christian Pulisic (not his balls) are officially day-to-day. Sargent was outstanding holding the ball up and connecting with teammates vs. Iran. With him unlikely to be available as of Friday morning, the US will be forced to make a change. If Berhalter is confident that the US can sufficiently control the game and keep the ball in dangerous areas, it would be tempting to start Jesús Ferreira. Here’s the TYAC projected XI: 

TYAC’s projected starting 11 vs. the Netherlands

As my colleague Neil W. Blackmon notes below, it is unclear which holding midfielder Louis van Gaal will deploy next to Frenkie de Jong in his 5-3-2/3-4-1-2 after he experimented with a different option in each group stage game.

Regardless of how the Dutch play things in midfield, I wouldn’t be surprised if the high-octane “MMA” trio of Yunus Musah, Weston McKennie and Adams, with the advantage of continuity, again smother the opposition in the first half should that be the plan. While de Jong is ball secure, dynamic and vital for the Dutch, even he can be baited into a problem on the ball. Letting a LVG team ponderously possess while waiting to pierce them in transition – where the US must be more clinical – also makes sense, with the potential to exploit the space vacated by the wingbacks. Tim Weah will be, as usual, indispensable. 

We should see stretches of both teams on the front foot, but while McKennie is on the pitch (he’s not 100%, otherwise he wouldn’t be getting subbed off) the American approach ought to be aggressive. McKennie’s role with and without the ball (and the overall defensive shape) will be worth watching early. Also, will Sergiño Dest and Antonee “Jedi” Robinson be more cautious bombing on than they were (simultaneously!) in the first half on Tuesday? If they’re released and can pin the Dutch wingbacks, the US could really assert themselves. 

If the US takes the lead, can it more calmly dispose of the Dutch towards the end of the second half or will Berhalter prematurely batten the hatches? And if we find ourselves trailing for the first time in this tournament – or if this stretches into extra time – do we see Gio Reyna? 

The USMNT has not defeated a European opponent at a World Cup since that magical afternoon against Portugal in South Korea 20 years ago. 

Berhalter, the first American to represent the USMNT both as a player and a coach, was a defender on that 2002 team that reached the quarterfinals, the team’s best run in its modern era at the tournament. With a spot in the quarterfinals at stake on Saturday, this feels like the beginning of a new modern era for the youngest team still alive in Qatar.

Playmaker Frenkie de Jong leads the 8th ranked Netherlands in to the octos against the United States.

What to Watch for from the Netherlands, by Neil W. Blackmon

This is not total football.

Let’s get that notion out of the way up front. 

That’s not to say the Netherlands can’t play. The Dutch haven’t lost a game under van Gall and are unbeaten, both in 2022 and their last 18 matches. They are winning. This incarnation of the Clockwork Oranje just aren’t playing the type of bewitching, swashbuckling football that is the subject of so much poetry and prose. 

Instead of brilliant attacking football, this Dutch team is built on defense, led by Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk (more on him below) , who anchors a defense that has allowed just 1 goal in its last 5 matches, dating back to World Cup tuneups against Poland and Belgium in September.

The Dutch departure from “total football” has upset the media, and many fans at home. 

But should it be surprising? 

After all, van Gaal’s  teams have played defensive soccer for many years. His 2014-2015 Manchester United team led the Premier league in games decided 1-0 or 0-0, and they finished 16th of 20 sides in chances created, ahead of only West Bromwich Albion, Watford, and Aston Villa. On the other hand, that Manchester United team surrendered the fewest chances in the Premier League as well, and his 2015-2016 FA Cup winner was almost equally as stingy. 

The problem, of course, is that in the Netherlands, much like their South American counterpart in style Brazil, it isn’t about whether you win, it is about how you win. Culturally, the Dutch take immense pride in playing pleasurable football, and at least after the group stage, the country is not impressed. 

“The papers aren’t being kind, that’s for sure,” former Dutch star Johnny Rep told TYAC. A schoolboy product discovered by Dutch legend Rinus Michels, Rep knows what beautiful football is and what Dutch expecations are. Rep’s breakthrough came after Michels took total football to Barcelona, but with his ability to race the channels and gracefully glide with the ball at his feet, the Dutch attacker became a key cog in the Clockwork Oranje attack through the halycon days of the 1970s, along with Johan Neeskens and the incomparable Johan Cruyff.

“Our trophies, in a way, were our style,” Rep said, a not so subtle reference to the Dutch failure to win the World Cup. “Our players won everything at their clubs, of course, but as (a national team), what we did for our country and the world was change the way football was played. And that’s the issue with this Dutch team. They win everything of late. But they aren’t changing the way we think about football,” Rep said, before pausing to add that it “might not matter if they win the World Cup.”

In other words, the labor of watching this Dutch team play may turn into a labor of love at home if the Dutch keep winning. 

And while the Iron Tulip’s tactics aren’t “total football”, it is, for now, winning football.

Throw in the 18 game unbeaten streak with the fact the Dutch have an xG against of under 1 goal a game at the World Cup, and well you get the idea of what the Americans are up against. The bulk of that xG against for the Oranje came in their draw with Ecuador on Black Friday. 

It will be tempting, I imagine, for Gregg Berhalter to mimic the approach taken by Ecuador, which was to cede harmless possession but use a numerical advantage (Ecuador had a 4-3 numbers advantage in the central midfield zones throughout the game) and pressure to force the Dutch midfield into mistakes and attack. How aggressive the US will be remains to be seen but as Sanjay writes above, the US are unlikely to sit on the back foot. The Americans have outshot opponents 28-19 at the World Cup and that includes a 10-8 shots edge against FIFA No. 5 England (the Dutch rank 8th in the FIFA World rankings). The US also aren’t really built to absorb pressure and sit deep or bunker, as we saw late against Iran. Berhalter’s decision to batten the hatches too soon against the Iranians nearly cost the United States a knockout round spot, and a repeat of that error is unlikely. 

A likely lineup for the Netherlands in Saturday’s octofinal vs. the United States.

The Oranje play a 5-3-2, a departure from the program’s famed 4-3-3, from which Ajax (and later the national team) birthed total football. Moving from backwards to forwards, the Dutch start the tallest, biggest goalkeeper in the World Cup in Andries Noppert, a mountain of a man at 6’8, 240 pounds. Noppert has made his modest club of Heerenveen (a former Michael Bradley destination, among others) proud at this World Cup, and while he isn’t the distributor the Dutch are accustomed to in goal, he is the best shot stopper the Oranje have fielded since the great Edwin van der Saar. 

The centerback trio of van Dijk, Nathan Aké, and either Bayern Munich’s Matias de Ligt or the latest Ajax revelation, Jurriën Timber, have been the rocks of the team since van Gaal abandoned the 4-3-3 for the 5-3-2/3-4-1-2. Either de Ligt or Timber is capable, but the Ajax defender has started the last 2 games after van Gaal went with de Ligt in the opener. 

The wingbacks are the steady, not flashy Inter man Denzel Dumfries and Daley Blind, who at 32, continues to start much to the chagrin of many Dutch fans, who would prefer the more talented Tyrell Malacia of Manchester United. 

In midfield, Barcelona star Frenkie de Jong is the only certainty Saturday. The playmaking midfielder is a masterful passer and ball retention expert, but his greatest strength is quintessentially Dutch: de Jong understands space.

Americans will be forgiven if they shudder at the name “de Jong.” That likely beckons memories of Nigel de Jong, who is essentially the footballing opposite of Frenkie de Jong. Indeed, it was the roughhousing number 6 Nigel de Jong who was at the heart of the Dutch’s anti-football tactics in the 2010 World Cup final against Spain, and of course, for Americans- Nigel de Jong is the man who changed Stu Holden’s meteoric rise to stardom forever. Frenkie de Jong? He’s the closest thing Holland have to a total footballer in Qatar.

As an off-ball supporting runner, de Jong is lethal, which is how he managed his long goal this tournament (he isn’t even on the screen until just before he scores, which is a fun way to illustrate a point!)

Just who joins the Barca man in the Dutch midfield is up for debate. The Dutch were outclassed in midfield by Ecuador, and the US “MMA” trio of McKennie, Musah, and Adams have played together more often and arguably play at better clubs than all of van Gaal’s options outside of de Jong. Atalanta midfielder Marten de Roon is one option; we think van Gaal would prefer his club teammate, Teun Koopmeiners, who is a better ball-winner, against the Yanks.

At forward, the man to watch is Cody Gakpo. The 23-year-old PSV Eindhoven product has been aflame in the Eredivisie early this club season, with 9 goals and 12 assists. He’s carried that form to the World Cup, where he scored in all 3 group stage games, joining Netherlands legends Johan Neeskens (1974), Dennis Bergkamp (1994),. and Wesley Sneijder (2010) as the only Dutch players to score in 3 games in succession at the World Cup. 

Gakpo has played a role similar to the one Arjen Robben played masterfully in Brazil in 2014. 

 

Most comfortable playing under 2 forwards as an attacking midfielder, Gakpo’s speed and physicality are a perfect fit for van Gaal’s system, which has largely moved away from playing a classic 9 and instead relied on a “sum of all parts” interchangeability between Vincent Janssen, Davy Klaasen (more of an attacking midfielder himself), and Steven Bergwijn. The addition of Memphis Depay of Barcelona, a proven goal scorer at the international level, only adds more depth to the many Dutch options up top. 

Of course, those options haven’t translated to a ton of chances for the Dutch, who have actually created less goal-scoring chances than the United States at this World Cup, despite scoring more goals. Gakpo’s ability to convert is a huge difference. He’s also 6’2 and muscular, and for a US team that struggled to defend set pieces throughout World Cup qualifying, the Americans need to be mindful of Gakpo on every Dutch set piece. The US have improved dramatically in this area in Qatar, but Saturday is not the day for a reversion to the qualifying mean. 

Neil W. Blackmon on the US Player to Watch, FB, Sergiño Dest

Picking a player to watch over the last decade at TYAC has rarely been this obvious. 

Dest, the 22-year-old Milan defender by way of Barcelona by way of Ajax by way of an American father, will be playing against his “other” home nation on Saturday when the US and Dutch meet. Dest grew up in the Netherlands but elected to play for his father’s homeland. Dest’s decision was a huge recruiting battle win for the United States– the rare situation where a dual-national didn’t simply choose to play for the country that wanted or needed him. Dest was very much wanted by the Dutch national team, and it is entirely reasonable to think he’d be on this Netherlands team in Qatar had he elected to play for the Oranje instead of donning the Stars and Stripes. 

A pacy, highly technical player who is  an assist machine (see above pass to Pulisic or his top 10 in assists in open play in Serie A) and splendid at turning with the ball and a defender on his shoulder or taking on defenders 1 v 1, Dest has an intriguing matchup with the Dutch wingbacks on Saturday. Exploiting it, and seizing his moment in the sun, would mean the world, and you can expect he’ll be ready for this dream sequence of a Round of 16 matchup. 

Virgil van DIjk captains the Dutch as they ready for the United States.

Jon Levy on the Dutch Player to Watch, CB, Virgil van Dijk

The man mountain, the Liverpudlian Leviathan, the VVD.

I’ve got my Virgil van Dijk elevator speech ready for that moment that never comes.

Y’know, I just might have a non-soccer fan ask me about the big upcoming match for “Team USA,” and I better have some quick-and-dirty talking points ready. When this hypothetical-to-the-point-of-nonexistent American soccer neophyte lights up my life with a question about our opponents I’m prepared to take one sip of my drink (ah!), then rattle this off like Frank The Tank weighing in on government’s role in supporting innovation in the field of biotechnology:

“This Netherlands team is beatable, but they’ve probably got the best defender in the world playing center back, and I don’t know if we can get past him. Virgil van Dijk is that dude. Like, you’ll hear Messi’s name when people are trying to make a point sometimes; ‘It’s not like that’s Messi running at our defense.’ Or, ‘holy crap, Tim Weah’s out here getting free and finishing like Messi.’ Virgil van Dijk is the guy you use to make those same lazy points on the defensive side. ‘Tim Ream hit 35 and turned into Virgil van Dijk.’ You get the point. Anyway, it’s pretty concerning for a team that’s only scored two goals in three matches that they’re actually going up against Virgil van Dijk on Saturday.”

I also have an amendment to this speech, contingent on said soccer newcomer possessing a working knowledge of the National Hockey League:

“So, you know how in hockey there’s a Norris Trophy winner every year, and it’s the best defenseman, but they come in all shapes and sizes with different styles of play? Sometimes you get a puck possession guy known for his passing and skating who’s basically a forward in disguise. Yeah, van Dijk is not that guy. Virgil van Dijk is Zdeno Chara. He’s here to grind your bones into dust, legally within the rules of the game. He’s ten feet tall and he’s getting in position to cut out your attack on the edge of the box two passes before the ball gets to that exact spot. He’s a problem.”

…what happened? I blacked out. 

But wait, there’s good news.

I would not be making van Dijk our player to watch if I thought the game was going to be played primarily in and around Matt Turner’s 18-yard box. “Watch Virgil van Dijk hangout near the halfway line and jog up for a corner once every twelve minutes.” No. This American team can create for itself and will have chances to try and test van Dijk. Should make for an entertaining game. It’ll be a chance for VVD to either renew his “Best Defender in the World” credentials, or have them revoked while American soccer Twitter debates English football Twitter on whether the 31-year-old is suddenly “washed” or “well past it.”

Neil W. Blackmon and Jon Levy are 2 co-founders of The Yanks Are Coming. Follow them on Twitter @nwblackmon and @TYAC_Jon. Collectively, they have attended 3 World Cups as writers and covered 3 others. Sanjay Sujanthakumar is a longtime TYAC contributor, one of the brightest young minds in American soccer, the first head coach of Trojans FC at the University of Southern California, and has written for a number of nationally-acclaimed soccer publications. Follow Sanjay on Twitter @tha_Real_Kumar.

 

 

Written by: Neil W. Blackmon on December 2, 2022.
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