USMNT World Cup 2022: Midfield battle success, attacking pace key to USA’s upset of Netherlands

The America The entire squad received a major fitness boost as they trained on Friday in preparation for their 2022 FIFA World Cup Round of 16 clash against the Netherlands on Saturday. Christian Pulisic already was Cleared as available Following a pelvic contusion and Josh Sargent Also looks ready to go after ankle injury. It will be interesting to see if Weston McKenney gets more than 60 minutes, but having key players ready is music to Greg Berhalter’s ears. The USMND upsets the Dutch on Saturday.

Sergino Test will be crucial in a match Against the nation of his birth His performances helped shut down the U.S. trailing and he assisted on Pulisic’s winner Iran. While he should be ready to get a win for the USMND, what else needs to happen for the US to win the tournament?

Let’s break it all down, but first, here’s my predicted lineup:

Predicted order: Matt Turner; Test, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Tim Ream, Anthony Robinson; Yunus Musa, Tyler Adams, McKenney; Timothy Way, Sgt., Pulisic

1. Frequent pressure

If the Americans are to unseat them and win the mid-range battle, they are to have any chance of recovering from the upset. Take it England Sports for example. The “MMA” midfield trio Adams, Musa and McKenney form one of the best groups in the World Cup. In possession, the Dutch keep the ball on the ground and they cough up 30 disposals in three games.

Berhalter and the USMNT have used different midfield configurations to silence the opposition and are expected to add a fourth to throw. Louis van Gaal’s patient attack in confusion. The Netherlands have a tendency to make poor decisions with the ball under pressure, especially when the wing backs are in possession. Pressing plays in favor of this young United States side. The defense has already demonstrated that it can hold its ground even when left on an island that is somewhat vulnerable to counterattack when the front six moves forward.

Moving to safety…

2. Push the pace

The Dutch like to control the tempo, which is why I think Cameron Carter-Vickers will start the match again. More comfortable on the ball than Walker Zimmerman, Carter-Vickers could help the USMNT up the tempo in the match. We already know that Test and Anthony Robinson live in the attacking third, so center backs who can find them will be crucial.

Even Turner became comfortable with the ball at his feet moving forward as training with Aaron Ramsdale at Arsenal began to show in his game. If America can dictate the tempo, good things — like scoring early — can come. If that happens, they could lock things up again by bringing in Zimmerman late.

When things go wrong, you become defensive. But at this point, the USMNT is playing with house money and may have to take risks. They don’t have the depth to go toe-to-toe with the Netherlands for 120 minutes, so getting out of blocks quickly can make a big difference in winning the match. Knowing that the ball will stay on the floor, America will be quick to make a last-ditch tackle if necessary.

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3. Slow down the game on offense

Seven shots on goal and two goals. That’s all the USMNT offense has done this match. Only seven teams have fewer shots on frame than the Americans. But the USMNT’s problem is that they push too quickly and don’t realize there’s time for an extra pass or dribble too much instead of passing. Wingers Wee and Pulisic are particularly guilty of this. They are the only ones finding the back of the net, which is a positive sign, but they have the potential to be more productive by looking for the extra pass instead of driving directly towards goal.

facing Virgil van Dijk Defensively, the team will have to drag him into the worst spots because the rest of the backline is a bugbear for the Netherlands. With the lights bright, this can be difficult for a young team to do, but it’s important to trust your teammates to finish chances.

How to watch and odds

• Date: Saturday, December 3 | Time: 10 a.m. ET
• Place: Khalifa International Stadium — Al Rayyan, Qatar
• TV: Fox and Telemundo | Live Stream: fuboTV (try it for free)
• Live: Updates from the game
• Contradictions: Netherlands -104; draw +230; United States +310 (via Caesars Sportsbook)