Will Gakpo be the matchwinner again?
It’s all or nothing now, it’s “barefoot or patent leather shoe” on Saturday. Whoever wins will advance and can continue to dream of the World Cup title, whoever loses will go home. All 16 round of 16 teams want to postpone this as long as possible. Between Holland and the USA, our tip suggests that the Americans will possibly be eliminated on Saturday.
The Dutch have secured a commanding first place in Group A. However, the eleven are not playing the typically attractive football with which Oranje have often spoiled their fans in recent decades. Under Louis van Gaal, the Dutch team has developed into a results machine, and that is probably exactly how it has to be if they want to become world champions in the end.
The United States have played their way into this round of 16 with much more effort. Nevertheless, you have to give Gregg Berhalter’s team credit for three decent games in the preliminary round. The US boys are the youngest team at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. But they are very stable. Nevertheless, we expect a few goals to be scored in this clash and are inclined to predict more than 2.5 goals between Holland and the USA.
Tendentially, however, the Dutch will leave the pitch as winners. Louis van Gaal has many players with international experience, even if a World Cup is new territory for most of them. Nevertheless, the Dutch stars should actually bring the thing home if Memphis Depay, Frenkie de Jong, Virgil van Dijk and Co. play up to their full potential.
Holland – Statistics & current form
Even if Louis van Gaal does have a tendency to see things differently than many other people involved in football, you have to hand it to him that he is highly successful as a coach. Considering his World Cup games with the Elftal, out of ten games he has only lost on penalties in the 2014 semi-final
Strong against non-Europeans
Currently in his third spell as Bonds coach, he has not lost one in the 18 international matches he has played. The general World Cup statistics against non-European teams are also outstanding. If we take out the defeat against Argentina in 2014, there has been no defeat against non-European teams in the last 19 World Cup matches. That’s why we’re actually looking at the odds for an Orange victory in the Holland vs USA clash.
With seven points from three preliminary round matches (2-0 against Senegal, 1-1 against Ecuador, 2-0 against Qatar), Holland can be very satisfied. The bottom line, however, is that there is a lack of enthusiasm for the game. The Dutch play extremely passively for long stretches, which is not usually their style. But the results prove Louis van Gaal right. The only real bright spot in terms of personnel is Cody Gakpo, who scored in all three preliminary round matches.
The Dutch have managed to advance to the World Cup round of 16 without any suspended players. They have also managed to get the injured players around Memphis Depay fully fit for the knockout round. On Saturday, Teun Koopmeiners should definitely be an option for the defensive midfield again. Marten de Roon could return to the bench in his place.
Predicted line-up of Holland:
Noppert – van Dijk, Ake, Timber – F. de Jong, Koopmeiners – Blind, Dumfries, Klaassen – Depay, Gakpo – Coach: van Gaal
Last matches played by Holland:
World Cup Group A
29/11/2022 – Netherlands 2 – 0 Qatar
25/11/2022 – Netherlands 1 – 1 Ecuador
21/11/2022 – Senegal 0 – 2 Netherlands
UEFA Nations League A Grp. 4
26/09/2022 – Netherlands 1 – 0 Belgium
23/09/2022 – Poland 0 – 2 Netherlands
USA – Statistics & current form
The US Boys’ big goal is the 2026 World Cup, which will be held in North America, with most of the matches taking place in the United States. Every game the Americans win in Qatar not only brings more experience, but further fuels the anticipation for the home World Cup. From this perspective, it has to be said that Gregg Berhalter’s team is doing really well at the moment.
Miserable World Cup record against Europeans
The US are certainly expecting something against the Netherlands on Saturday, if it weren’t for those pesky statistics against teams from Europe. The United States have not won against a European team in eleven World Cup matches. With this in mind, we would be reluctant to predict a win for the underdog in the clash between Holland and the USA.
With five points, the Americans finished second behind England in the preliminary round. Overall, the young US boys did well, but the effort they have to put in to score a goal is enormous. As a result, they managed just two goals in their three group matches (1-1 against Wales, 0-0 against England, 1-0 against Iran).
The showpiece of Gregg Berhalter’s team has been the central midfield. Defensively, Tyler Adams and Yunus Musah work there predominantly, while Weston McKennie and Christian Pulisic operate offensively. The latter two had to be substituted with injuries in the last group game against Iran, as did Josh Sargent. In the meantime, however, all three have been given the all-clear. So no changes are expected in the starting eleven against the Dutch.
Predicted USA line-up:
Turner – Robinson, Ream, Carter-Vickers, Dest – Adams, Musah, McKennie – Pulisic, Weah, Sargent – Coach: Berhalter
Last USA matches:
World Cup Group B
30/11/2022 – Iran 0 – 1 USA
26/11/2022 – England 0 – 0 USA
22/11/2022 – USA 1 – 1 Wales
Friendly matches
28/09/2022 – Saudi Arabia 0 – 0 USA
23/09/2022 – Japan 2 – 0 USA
Holland – USA Direct comparison / H2H balance
Since the 1998 World Cup, the national teams from the Netherlands and the USA have met on a regular basis for testing purposes. There has not been a competitive match so far and all five games have been played in friendship. In the direct comparison, the Dutch are clearly ahead. After victories, the score is 4:1 in favour of the Elftal. That means there has never been a draw either.
The last encounter in June 2015 was a real nail-biter. The Dutch led 3-1 in Amsterdam until 20 minutes from time after two goals from Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and a strike from Memphis Depay. Then John Anthony Brooks, Daniel Williams and Bobby Wood turned the game around to give the US boys, who were still coached by Jürgen Klinsmann at the time, a 4-3 win.
Holland – USA Tip
The bookmakers have the Dutch as favourites in this first quarter-final. That is probably inevitable when you are the group winners against a runner-up. However, the Dutch have not shown their best side. But that doesn’t have to be the case at a World Cup. That’s why Louis van Gaal seems to be exactly the right man in the right place. After all, the Dutch have been unbeaten for 18 games in his current tenure.
In addition, the Americans have big problems against European teams at World Cups. However, we think Gregg Berhalter’s team will be looking for their chance and can imagine an open exchange of blows in the beginning.
In the end, however, we expect the Europeans to make it to the quarter-finals because their quality and experience will prevail in the decisive scenes. We can certainly imagine betting on an Oranje victory with goals from both teams. In the end, however, we decided to play the betting odds on a win in regulation time for the Elftal between Holland and the USA.
