USA is out of the World Cup because Netherlands beat them

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Al Rayyan, Qatar – The US men’s national team is out of the 2022 World Cup after losing 3-1 to the Netherlands in their round-of-16 match.

First-half goals from Memphis Depay and Daley Blind – both assisted by Denzel Dumfries – gave the Dutch a lead they would never relinquish. The US pulled a goal back through Haji Wright in the 76th minute, and the pressure piled on, but Dumfries added the clincher in the 81st minute to give the Netherlands some much-needed breathing room.

For the US, it was a disappointing performance given the team’s success in group stage exits and the talented-albeit-young group of players at manager Greg Berhalter’s disposal.

Now the US will look to 2026 when it co-hosts the World Cup with Canada and Mexico.

jump to: player ratings , Best/Worst Performers , Highlights and Notable Moments , postmatch quotes , key figures , upcoming fixtures

Swift response

1. Dumfries comes under fire as Dutch execute almost perfect strategic plan

The USA entered the game brimming with confidence, having reached the knockout stages as the second youngest team in the tournament. That confidence was boosted by the perception that this Netherlands side might not have been up to the standards set by their predecessors which reached three World Cup finals, the last of which was in 2014.

But the Dutch showed the difference in quality that still exists between the two sides.

Dutch manager Louis van Gaal’s tactical game plan was ruthlessly effective. The Dutch were prepared to allow the Americans to occupy and to attack in transition once possession was gained. This had the effect of asking the US to do one of the things it was not good at, namely breaking up an organized defence. It also emphasized some of the Netherlands’ strengths, using its technical prowess to play through the US press and create transition opportunities.

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Dumfries was the biggest beneficiary, and the quality of the Netherlands was evident in Depay’s goal in the 10th minute. Orange The American played through the press to find Dumfries on the wing, and his low cross found Depay in too much space, allowing him to finish with a right.

The Netherlands then delivered a killer first-half stoppage time, and then Dumfries delivered again, with a similar cut back pass by Blind to strike home. The US threw everything they had ahead in back to back matches, and gained a lifeline through Wright’s goal. But it was left to Dumfries to provide the caper, hammering home Blind’s lofted ball.

2. USA lacked sharpness across the field

It could have all been so different. With the game only in the third minute, Tyler Adams found Christian Pulisic clear when he passed over the Dutch defence, but his left-footed shot was saved by Dutch goalkeeper Andries Knoppert.

We’ll never know what would have happened if America had snuck in. Perhaps it only delayed the inevitable, but it forced America into an unfamiliar position – that of playing from behind.

There were other occasions as well. Sergino Dest made some promising efforts down the right wing, but he could not quite get the last crucial touch to see the target clear. And Pulisic had another opportunity to run in space, only for his centered feed to fall behind two runners in the box.

The problems were not only on the attacking end.

The American defense had been solid up to this point, but was plagued by problems on this night, the greatest of which was an inability to smell the threat. Adams started the Dutch’s first goal-scoring sequence before Depay, but failed to see his run and was several yards behind when the Dutchman headed home his shot. Daile was one of the many to blame for the second goal, but Dailey failed to notice Blind as a ghost in the box.

The subpar play of practically the entire team counts as a major disappointment for the US. It was widely viewed as the most talented American team in its history. Now America will have to wait till 2026.

Will Berhalter be the one to lead them? This is up for debate. While he did well to take the US out of the group stage, the lack of playing time for Reyna is baffling. The Americans’ recent history of second-cycle managers has also not been good, with both Bob Bradley and Jürgen Klinsmann failing to make it to a second World Cup.

3. USA’s lack of striker comes back to bite them

There are some things no team can run away from, and the US had two big concerns entering this tournament. There was a concern about the centre-backs, and while the distribution was not up to the level of previous games, overall Tim Ream, Walker Zimmermann and Cameron Carter-Vickers performed well.

But a second concern, the lack of a number 9 who could consistently score goals, was never resolved. Jesus Ferreira was given the start in this match, and he never looked comfortable with the pace of the game. After all, this was the first match for the FC Dallas player since October 24.

Ferreira was replaced at half-time by Gio Reyna, who played a false nine with Pulisic – but that tactical maneuver only lasted 20 minutes, as Haji Wright entered the match in the 65th minute. The sight of Reyna playing in that position will no doubt delight many American fans, as it is a move they have been fighting for since the start of the tournament.

In some respects, Berhalter’s hand was forced given that Josh Sargent was unavailable to play due to an ankle injury against Iran. But it seemed like Reyna should have had more minutes, and tried him out as a false nine earlier.

The hole at the striker position was made even more apparent with the introduction of Wright. He missed a great opportunity in the 75th minute when he picked up an errant back pass, only to bring it down for a heavy touch so that his final shot was cleared off the line. Even his goal seemed born more of luck, when the deflection of Pulisic’s cross somehow went into the net.

Regardless of who the manager is, finding a solution remains a priority for the next cycle.

player ratings

We: Turner 6, Robinson 4, Ream 5, Zimmerman 6, Dest 4, Moses 5, Adams 4, McKennie 5, Pulisic 5, Ferreira 3, Weah 5.

sub: Reyna 6, Wright 5, Aaronson 5, Yedlin 5, Morris 5

Netherlands: Noppert 7, Aké 6, van Dijk 6, Timber 7, Blind 7, de Jong 7, de Roon 6, Dumfries 9, Klassen 6, Gakpo 7, Depay 7

sub: Koopminers 5, Bergwijn 5, Simmons 5, Ligt 5, Weghorst 5

best and worst performers

Best: Denzel Dumfries, Netherlands

He had space down the right wing, and Dumfries took advantage of it to score a goal and two assists. The US could kill for such precise comprehensiveness, and its goal was just a reward for an excellent performance.

Worst: Jesus Ferreira, United States

There were many candidates. Antoine Robinson could not contain Dumfries, and Tyler Adams was off his game. But Ferreira did not contribute for the US, and was subbed off for Gio Reyna at halftime.

Highlights and Notable Moments

It took less than 10 minutes for the Netherlands to take the lead.

Racing in transition into the area, Denzel Dumfries crossed a ball into the box for Memphis Depay’s late run, and it was a routine finish: his one-time strike was well away from goalkeeper Matt Turner.

As the first half dragged on at 1-0 and the break approached, the Americans were certainly keen to trail by a goal at halftime so they could regroup and prepare to stage a comeback in the second half.

But in stoppage time of the first half, the Netherlands doubled their lead and found themselves in a deep hole to try to get the USA out as Daley Blind delivered a one-time strike to Turner.

The US pulled one back in the 76th minute, but it looked to be a shot at goal, the ball going through the feet of an unsuspecting Haji Wright.

The comeback dreams were soon dashed as Denzel Dumfries scored the Dutch side’s third in the 81st minute for an eventual 3–1 scoreline.

After the match: What the players and managers said

USA manager Greg Berhalter on the result: “It’s a difficult one to handle, it’s such a good group of guys, such a close-knit group of guys and we came up short today but not because of a lack of effort, not because of a lack of effort. I think the guys put everything They were involved in this game and unfortunately we lost it.”

USA Captain Tyler Adams: “This kind of game comes down to the margins, obviously, and when you play a team of that kind of quality and you give them three, four chances, they’re going to put away three or four. And for us, I “I’m very proud of the boys today. We could show that we can play with some of the best teams in the world, some of the best players in the world, and that’s a lot of progress for US Soccer. We’re making progress for sure.” Right direction, but we need to keep moving forward because we are not there yet but we are close.”

Adams on this young team from years together ahead of the 2026 World Cup: “It is exciting, the more time together the more development there should be. But having said that, we still need to develop more mature players individually for moments like this so that we can come out on top. Like I said, it comes down to the moment and today you can see that a team with a little more experience did better than us. But with the young potential we have, we need to move forward between that time and 2026.”

Adams on what Berhalter told him after the final whistle: “He just patted me on the back and told me to keep my head high. With the efforts we’ve made in this game today, we need to go off the pitch with our heads held high.”

Key Stats (Provided by ESPN Stats & Info)

  • With the result, the Netherlands improve to 14–0–5 (WLD) under manager Louis van Gaal.

  • The starting line-up for the Americans was the youngest 11 for a World Cup knockout game in USMNT history.

  • Denzel Dumfries is the first Netherlands player with two assists in a World Cup knockout match since our records began in 1966.

  • The United States conceded their most goals at the World Cup since 2006, when they lost 3–0 to the Czech Republic.

  • Christian Pulisic, with his second assist, joined Graham Zusi and Tab Ramos as the only USMNT players with multiple World Cup assists since 1966. Pulisic and Zusi are the only USMNT players to record multiple assists in the same World Cup – Pulisic in 2022 and Zusi in 2014.

next

United States of america: The World Cup is over for the Americans.

Netherlands: The Netherlands reach the World Cup quarter-finals against the winner of the Argentina vs Australia match later on Saturday.





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