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The field of 32 to start the 2022 World Cup has been sliced in half now that Group play has concluded. And from here on out its win or go home. That was actually the case in the final Group stage match for the US Men’s National Team. Team USA was favored to advance to the knockout stage and they did in dramatic fashion beating Iran 1-0 to finish undefeated with a win and two draws. Team USA will now face Netherlands on Saturday in the Round of 16. The Dutch won Group B and was a World Cup betting favorite at the start of the tournament to win the trophy.
United States vs. Netherlands
Date and Time: Saturday, December 3, 2022, 10 a.m. ET
Location: Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan, Qatar
World Cup Odds: USA +330, Netherlands -111, draw +235, O/U 2.5
United States vs. Netherlands TV Coverage: FOX
The US was favored to advance from its group and thanks to a Christian Pulisic goal in the 36th minute they beat Iran 1-0 for the second spot. The bad news for Uncle Sam is that only two goals were scored in Group play. The good news is that they allowed just one with back to back clean sheets first against heavily favored England. I think events during group play will only strengthen the chances of the US squad pulling off an upset.
First, the Americans earned a draw with the English in a match that saw them as a +460 underdog and at +290 to draw on the World Cup soccer betting odds. Most observers felt the US was the better team but couldn’t find a way past the tight England back line. Pulisic came closest to notching a goal ringing a shot off the cage midway through the first half. One issue for the Americans is their inability to finish. They controlled the ball for much of the opening match with Wales only to settle for a 1-1 draw and outplayed England only to come up empty.
The win over Iran may have come at a steep price. On the play that resulted in the match’s lone goal, Pulisic was injured and subbed out. He was taken to a local hospital for what coach Gregg Berhalter called a “precaution.” Team USA needs its spark plug to have a chance of beating the Netherlands on the soccer betting line.
Ranked eighth in the world by FIFA and placed in the upper tier on the pre-tournament World Cup betting odds, the Netherlands worked their way through Group play with two wins and a draw stretching their unbeaten streak to 18 matches. The club wasn’t all that impressive during Group play, but they didn’t lose telling us something about them. They took a 1-0 lead over Ecuador in the sixth minute of their match but failed to get another and were outhustled most of the second half. Ecuador got the equalizer just four minutes into the second stanza after having a goal disallowed just before halftime..
It was a slow start for the club heavily favored to win its Group. In their opener with Senegal the Dutch were held off the board until the 84th minute when Cody Gakpo broke a scoreless tie. Davy Klaassen added another in extra time. They had an easier time in the group finale notching another 2-0 clean sheet against host Qatar. Gakpo hit the back of the net in that one giving him three goals in as many games.
Player to Watch
I think it’s safe to say the Americans need to play their best match of the tournament to advance past the Round of 16 for only the second time. One player up to the task is goalkeeper Matt Turner, who has yet to concede a goal in open play and posted back-to-back clean sheets against England and Iran to secure at least one more match. An overlooked and underrated part of a goalies game is distributing the ball in possession and Turner has been sensational. His pinpoint deliveries have helped the US maintain a possession advantage in every match, now all they need to do is convert.
USA vs. Netherlands Free Picks
The World Cup betting line suggests otherwise but I really believe the US has a chance to win this match. The Americans played a pressure-packed match with Iran and at times dominated the heavily-favored English only to settle for a draw. They need to finish off their possessions and have a better chance of doing that if Pulisic plays. Turner and the back line have been solid so don’t expect a lot of goals, which is why the UNDER on the soccer betting line at BetRivers sportsbook is getting a lot of play. Team USA is confident and I like the upset possibility.
USA vs. Netherlands Prediction: USA 2, Netherlands 1
