bluesfan94
Registered User
Teams: Netherlands v. United States
Time and Date (CST): Saturday, December 3, 9:00 AM
Venue: Khalifa International Stadium
Storyline: Two undefeated teams, two teams that did not qualify for the 2018 World Cup. The Dutch come into this match with the prestige and will be favored to go on. In the group stages, the Dutch rode Cody Gakpo's three goals, including an absolutely wonderful strike against Ecuador. The Dutch handled Qatar with ease, but looked a little shaky against Senegal and Ecuador. Still, they conceded only one goal across the three matches while scoring 5, so they have reason to be optimistic beyond just the strength of their history. At the back, Virgil van Dijk leads a tough defense, while the midfield is anchored by Barcelona midfielder Frenkie De Jong.
The United States, too, comes into the Round of 16 without having lost a game. A late penalty conceded to Wales led to a 1-1 draw after a tidy Tim Weah finish. Then, Iran scoring two late goals against Wales to earn 3 points added pressure to America's faceoff against England. The underdogs ended up controlling the match and were millimeters away from taking all three points after Christian Pulisic's effort thudded into the woodwork. On two points going into the final day, the US was in a win-or-go-home situation against Iran. Pulisic found the back of the net late in the first half, but had to come off injured, as did striker Josh Sargent. Some questionable subs led to America being on the backfoot for much of the last half hour of the match, with Iran asking for some late penalties that would have been soft had they been given. Nonetheless, the United States held on, earning a 1-0 win and a spot in the Round of 16.
This will be the sixth matchup between the two teams, with the Dutch having won 4, although the Americans won the last match in 2015 4-3.
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