The Dutch gave their American rivals a painful lesson in goal-scoring with goals from Memphis Depay and Daley Blind in the first half, as well as a late goal from Denzel Dumfries. In the round of eight, either Argentina or Australia will face the Netherlands, who are attempting to win their first World Cup after losing three previous finals.
The team led by seasoned coach Louis van Gaal earned a victory in Saturday's round of 16 match at the Khalifa International Stadium. Although the USA had plenty of possession in a strong first half performance, they frequently fell short due to a lack of poise in the final third. Instead, it was the Dutch who patiently bided their time before forensically dissecting the Americans.
After just three minutes, USA forward Christian Pulisic missed a great opportunity to give his team a 1-0 lead when he found himself in space and saw his errant shot saved by Andries Noppert. Encouraged by that early opportunity, the US continued to play aggressively and attacked high up the field. The Netherlands, however, took the lead after 10 minutes. The ball was worked to Dumfries down the right by excellent midfield interplay for Inter Milan.
