Netherlands v USA (Last 16)

Totally unmarked

 

Some Wan bissaka level defending

 

Child like defending.

 

Robinson has been solid until today. Not the match to have an off day

 

All it took was one of those four USA defenders to take a quick glance backwards. Dumfries was wide open for maybe a full five seconds.

Experiece (the lack thereof)

 

More impressed with the Netherlands than I was in the group stages. A mature performance and taken the sting out of the game at the right times.

They also seem to have let the shackles off a little bit going forward, look a little bit less rigid

 

They haven't really been great at scanning before receiving the ball, both in and out of possession. Wasting many opportunities to pick out the open man as a result and, as we've seen today, it's causing us to concede stupid goals

Would have liked to see this van gaal at united, but it is what it is

 

How the hell did England not score against the US? Shows how poorly they performed.

 

It's gone all a bit CONCACAF-y.

Now time to get rid of Berhalter and bring someone in who can coach. Bring on 2026!

 

Today definitely highlighted the gulf in coaching between these sides.

 

No real surprise to anyone, I would think. As I touched on earlier, the USA can't expect to compete with footballing nations like The Netherlands. When the pressure is on and you get to the business end of a World Cup, they will aways have a higher gear to go into and the better players.

Still, getting out the group stages for the USA was a decent achievement.

 

We’re a few pieces away from being more competitive but we’ve got a nice young midfield and some exciting forward players in the making. All in all it was a nice tournament

 

He was a strange appointment from the beginning, and was lucky he had a group of players who had enough talent and heart to bail him out on several occasions.

 

Edgar Davids be looking like Stevie Wonder

 

Dutch deserve the win, must say. Let’s hope the Socc, er, Footieroos don’t pull an upset later today. I’d like to see how Nederland do against a (presumably) better-defending squad like Argentina.

 

Group stage games are always different though. The U.S. aren't bad at the back or in midfield, they're quite a solid team, they just have nothing up front. England were poor but the U.S. also had no real impetus to open up in that game.

I think LVG had a tactical masterclass but just giving the ball the USA, knowing they have no players capable of doing much on the ball. Once the Dutch got their first goal it was nearly game over imo.

 

It should be a rule to always have at least someone doing punditry who has managed, much more interesting to listen to generally.

 

Just wanted to write similar when seeing him sitting next to LVG (was my first Netherlands match today at this WC).

Or maybe, from his playing days in Italy, he's member of Mafia, Cosa Nostra, 'Ndrangheta or Camorra?

Anyway, that's shit. Now I have to bear these guys even longer at this WC. Just said to the Wife to put all Oranges out of my sight

 

Well done Team USA