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More realistic than their opponents, the Netherlands beat the United States 3-1 in the first knockout round of the FIFA World Cup. They will face in the quarter-finals the winner of Argentina – Australia.
Oranje mechanics coldly got the better of the United States. More effective than Team USA, the Netherlands took advantage of a huge performance from Denzel Dumfries, double passer and scorer, to win 3-1 and become the first nation to qualify for the quarter-finals.
Four years from its World Cup at home, finding the round of 16 was already a success for Team USA, two decades after its last appearance at this level. But this rising generation wanted more.
Unimpressed by the pedigree of the Oranje, the young wolves quickly threw themselves into the assault of the Noppert cage. The new goalkeeper of the Netherlands – fourth selection only – does not wait to show himself. On an approximate clearance and on a dubious alignment of his defense, he won his face to face with Pulisic (3rd).
Dumfries at the pass and at the conclusion
Despite the pressure, the Oranje opened the scoring on their first chance. Shifted to the right by Gakpo, Dumfries center back. Memphis Depay takes over without control and deceives Matt Turner (10th, 1-0).
Satisfied to be in front, the Netherlands lets go. The Americans try to find the fault but the Dutch defense is well organized and methodically repels the attacks. The best opportunity is to be credited to Timothy Weah. The striker takes a half-volley ball badly cleared, which forces Noppert to a horizontal to parry (43rd).
But, as at the start of the match, a great American opportunity was followed by a crushing blow: on a touch, Dumfries inherited the ball and centered back. This time Blind defeats Turner. An almost exact copy of the first goal. (45th + 1, 2-0).
The game is off to a flying start after the break. On a corner, Zimmerman extends a header from McKennie. The Dutch goalkeeper is beaten but Gakpo clears in disaster (49th). It was also Zimmerman who, less than four minutes later, failed to deceive his own goalkeeper by deflecting a cross into his net. But Turner is vigilant. Weston McKennie then finds the bar of Noppert (55th).
Matt Turner keeps his afloat. He made two high-class saves on De Jong’s strikes and then Depay’s recovery. An offside is finally whistled (71st). In the aftermath, Team USA gives itself the right to believe in it. Pulisic sends a cross from the right side which resumes in an unacademic way. Noppert is lobed (76th, 2-1).
The American public then wakes up, hoping that their men pack the end of the game. But Dumfries quickly takes care of cooling them down. The double passer turns into a scorer to knock out definitively (82nd, 3-1).
The beautiful course of the United States therefore stops among the 16 best world selections. Unlike the Netherlands who will face the winner of the duel between Argentina and Australia for a place in the last four.
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