The USMNT’s World Cup Is Over After A Loss To The Netherlands

The United States men’s national team is out of the 2022 World Cup. After making it out of Group B and earning a knockout stage matchup with the Netherlands, the USMNT’s efforts to go on a run got caught up in an Oranje wave, and by the time the dust was settled, the Dutch picked up a 3-1 win over the red, white, and blue.

The Americans started the game with a golden opportunity. Tyler Adams played a speculative ball into the box that just happened to land at the feet of a totally unmarked Christian Pulisic. Unfortunately for Pulisic, the ball landed on his weaker left foot, and the Netherlands’ goalkeeper, Andries Noppert, was able to get the save with his left leg.

The USMNT continued to apply pressure to the Dutch, but Pulisic’s chance getting parried away came back to haunt them minutes later. The team put on a clinic in counterattacking football, which ended with Denzel Dumfries playing a ball into the penalty spot that Memphis Depay tucked away with ease.

Tried as they might, the United States were unable to break down a Dutch side that was happy to let them possess the ball. Their organization, mixed with the USMNT’s timidness when they were in and around the box, meant that team struggled mightily to create a good chance.

In fact, the best opportunity the team had in the first half aside from Pulisic came by way of Timothy Weah, who leathered a ball from outside of the box and made Noppert make a save.

And then, disaster struck. With mere seconds to go before halftime, the Dutch got a throw in that the United States was unable to deal with. Dumfries once again played a ball to the penalty spot, and this time, Daley Blind made the U.S. pay with the final kick of the ball before the two teams went into the locker room.

An opportunity came up for the Americans early in the second half off of a corner kick, with Pulisic playing a ball into a dangerous area. Tim Ream was just able to get his foot to the ball, but it was not enough.

With 20 or so minute to go, the Netherlands had a golden opportunity to put the Americans away, until Matt Turner made the double save of his life.

And much like the first half, a golden opportunity that got denied on one end turned into a goal on the other. One of the United States’ substitutes, Haji Wright, redeemed himself after an ugly miss that got sent out for a corner by a Dutch defender. Amid the chaos after that ensuing corner, Pulisic played in a ball that got to Wright’s feet. He just barely got enough onto it, and the USMNT had its first goal of the game.

With the wind finally at their sails, the Americans pushed and pushed with an eye on a second. But unfortunately for them, the dagger came by way of Dumfries. This time, he was on the receiving end of a cross from Blind, and while Antonee Robinson tucked too far inside to mark Cody Gakpo, Dumfries was totally free to put a ball past Turner.

Ultimately, the hill became too much for the Americans to climb. Their time in Qatar is over, while the Dutch will sit and wait to see if their quarterfinal game will be against Argentina or Australia.