Netherlands – USA

The Americans will surprise the Netherlands with attacking football

On Saturday, 03 December, the Netherlands will play against the USA in the first match of the World Cup play-offs. The Dutch have produced a quality group-stage performance that is hard to fault. Van Gaal's team finished top of the group and conceded just one goal. Another matter is that the football itself was of a very low level. Leaving aside the match against hapless Qatar, the Netherlands did not deserve to win against Senegal, and they lost to Ecuador in the number of chances created. The Netherlands have a very defensive model of play. The team prioritises defence, but there are questions about this scheme as well. Ecuador easily broke down the opponent's defence when they acted bravely. And this has so far been the only opponent to offer the Netherlands pressing and pressure. In the play-offs, the opponents will be of a different level. There is a good chance that the Oranje will not adapt. The Netherlands have no problems with their squad. Only Memphis Depay was in doubt for the World Cup. The Barcelona player recovered during the tournament and played in the main squad in the third round. Another important minus for the Netherlands is the enigmatic goalkeeper. In the group stage, Andries Noppirt was hardly tested. In the play-offs, a goalkeeper who has never played at the top level can wobble. The USA is the exact opposite of the Netherlands in terms of style of play. The Americans had the advantage over their opponent in every game. The problem was a lack of luck. With Wales, it was unlucky to muff a lot of chances. Importantly, a ridiculous penalty shoot-out was also allowed. The game against England was one of the major revelations of the entire tournament. Gregg Berhalter's men played a near-perfect game against a top team, but failed to score. They outscored England by XG. The home team hardly had any goalscoring chances. In the decisive encounter with Iran, the team was also tested in character. The difference in class was huge, but in the final minutes the Americans actually had to survive on defense. Berhalter's men fought back and deservedly made the playoffs. The situation was only overshadowed by an injury to key attacking player Christian Pulisic. The Chelsea striker was forced to ask for a substitution in the first half. If recent news is to be believed, Pulisic will be able to take the field in the play-offs. The bookmakers put the Netherlands as the clear favourites for the match. You could argue with that. The Americans are certainly not inferior to their European rivals in terms of quality of play. The squad is not much weaker by name. The USA team did not shy away from playing number one against England. The Netherlands are unlikely to be an authority for a young and brave team.