The Netherlands defeated the USA 3-1 in the round of 16 on Saturday at the Khalifa International Stadium to advance to the quarterfinals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup, thwarting their chances of mounting a comeback.
After 10 minutes, Memphis Depay gave the Netherlands a 1-0 lead after Denzel Dumfries cut the ball back to him on the edge of the box.
The Netherlands then performed a deft play from a throw-in that once more saw Dumfries assist for his teammates as they went into halftime with a double lead thanks to a goal from Daley Blind in his 98th appearance.
When Haji Wright scored with an odd flick on the 76th minute, the USA had been fighting hard and appeared to be on the verge of a comeback.
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However, Dumfries ended a great performance with a close-range shot to make it 3-1 six minutes later.
The USA, the tournament’s youngest squad, continued to press for a second goal but were unable.
After six minutes of extra time, the game came to an end. The Netherlands will now face either Australia or Argentina in the quarterfinals on Friday night.
Christian Pulisic avoided the offside trip within of three minutes, giving the Dutch a worry, but he was unable to beat Andries Noppert despite being clear on goal.
One of the secrets to the Netherlands’ triumph was keeping the Chelsea midfielder quiet, and the USA obviously struggled without him.
The Americans actually had eight shots on goal compared to their opponents’ six, but their over-reliance on Pulisic and lack of a reliable number “9” was evident as Wright took too many touches and had a good chance cleared off the line before scoring the consolation goal.
It also cost the team, as Dumfries was given free reign and was able to provide a Player of the Match performance.
The Inter Milan great is just one of three players to directly contribute to three or more goals in a World Cup game for the Netherlands, joining Rob Rensenbrink (who did it twice in 1978) and Johan Cruijff (who did it once in 1974).
Both of those times, the Netherlands advanced to the final, and Van Gaal has pledged a similar performance in Qatar while defending his group from critics he claims have dubbed them “boring.”
