How far can the USA go in World Cup 2022? Netherlands is start of what could be challenging road for USMNT

Mike DeCourcy

How far can the USA go in World Cup 2022? Netherlands is start of what could be challenging road for USMNT image

Christian Pulisic was cleared to play after the hard knock picked up against Iran, but it remains to be seen whether he will be healthy enough to remain part of the starting lineup when that's unveiled an hour before the U.S. men’s national team faces the Netherlands in a single-elimination Round of 16 match at the FIFA World Cup 2022.

All the good news to date is terrific for U.S. fans, but until Pulisic is on the team sheet Saturday morning, it’s going to be a concern. And even if he’s out there, it might be a while before we can recognize how close to peak form he will be.

We’ve seen what Pulisic at his best can deliver: the courageous finish to defeat Iran, the beautiful pass to Timothy Weah for the first USMNT goal at this World Cup, the exceptional defensive work he logged in the 0-0 draw against favored England.

MORE: Christian Pulisic injury update: USMNT star cleared for Netherlands World Cup Round of 16 matchup

What Pulisic can bring might say more about how far the U.S. can advance in Qatar than any single factor. Well, any single factor but the opposition. The list of opponents the Americans might play is daunting. The players believe, though, and that’s at least a start. They showed against England’s army of stars that they will not back down regardless of an opponent’s talent.

So here’s what they’re up against – and what could be ahead:

How to defend Cody Gakpo

Gakpo has been playing regularly for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie since he was 19, and, four years later, he’s become a goal machine in that league, with nine (and 12 assists!) in 14 starts. He carried over that form into the World Cup, where he scored in each of three Group A games and is tied in the Golden Boot race with three goals.

It’s a performance that has elevated his value to top clubs in Europe. He currently is listed at Transfermarkt.us as being valued at $46.5 million. He had expected to join Manchester United in the summer, but it didn’t happen. His price has more than doubled in this calendar year, and that’s with the last update escalating on his club form since it came before the World Cup began. Bayern Munich is reported to be interested now, as well.

The U.S. has faced elite forwards in this World Cup already, principally in the game against England. Gakpo is bigger than Bukayo Saka and Raheem Sterling and thus will challenge such players as Antonee Robinson and Sergino Dest in different ways when he drifts out to the wings, as well as Tim Ream and whomever is his partner in central defense. There might be some similarity to Harry Kane in terms of his ability to both attack himself and create for others.

MORE: Watch every World Cup match live with fuboTV (U.S.-only free trial)

Head coach Louis van Gaal has been slowly bringing along Barcelona forward Memphis Depay as he returns from injury, and Gakpo has taken his mantle as the primary attacking force.

The USMNT have been one of the most effective defensive teams at the World Cup, allowing only one goal in three group games and none in open play. That continues a trend going back to March; only two  of nine opponents managed to score in open play. The Americans allowed a total of five goals in those games.

Can USA score against Virgil Van Dijk?

The USMNT have not been a potent scoring team against high-level competition, and none of those teams featured Virgil van Dijk, who remains one of the top central defenders in the world despite an early season slump at Liverpool FC.

The Netherlands have shut out four of their past five opponents, and that was against such productive attacking players as Robert Lewandowski (Poland) and Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium). 

MORE: USA World Cup coach Gregg Berhalter has defied critics and opponents, building a young squad with a culture

Against World Cup-qualified opposition dating back to June, the Americans have been shut out seven times and scored five total goals. The problem in finding a productive striker persists. Against World Cup-qualified opponents, the USMNT haven’t gotten a goal out of their starter at that forward position since World Cup qualifying began last autumn.

Forwards Timothy Weah and Christian Pulisic have found ways to score high-end goals in this World Cup. But there only have been two of them. At some point, that lack of punch is going to cause a serious problem.

USA path in World Cup 2022 knockout stage

The U.S. has played the Netherlands only five times, ever, losing the first four until claiming a 4-3 victory in 2015 in Amsterdam on late goals by midfielder Danny Williams and forward Bobby Wood.

The Netherlands are ranked No. 8 in the world. They last advanced past this round in a major tournament in 2014, when van Gaal led them to a semifinal finish and a loss in a penalty kick shootout against Argentina.

They lost to the Czech Republic at Euro 2021 and before that failed to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2016.

Depay was a member of the 2014 World Cup team, but one of only three who still are on the Netherlands roster. Midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum would have been there, but he broke his leg in August.

The Dutch are a difficult opponent, obviously, but would not seem to be at the level of say, France or Brazil based on their performances in this tournament.

Quarterfinal

Should the U.S. get past the Netherlands, they will play the winner between Argentina and Australia, and a chance to play Messi would be loads of fun — probably until the game starts.

Semifinal

Beyond that would be the semifinals. In the modern World Cup era, the U.S. never has made it that far. The most likely semifinal opponent as it stands now is Brazil.

The USMNT have played Brazil 19 times, including in the 1994 World Cup Round of 16. The Americans have won once. That win was in February 1998 at the CONCACAF Gold Cup. Goalkeeper Kasey Keller saved so many Brazil shots in that game that at one point superstar Romario walked up and shook his hand to acknowledge the performance. Not after the game, but as it was happening.

That’s the value of speculating ahead about potential matchups: remembering great moments when those games were played before. There was only one of those moments, though, against Brazil.

It seems more than fantastic, then, to be wondering about who the USMNT possibly could face in the final.

Mike DeCourcy

Mike DeCourcy Photo

Mike DeCourcy has been the college basketball columnist at The Sporting News since 1995. Starting with newspapers in Pittsburgh, Memphis and Cincinnati, he has written about the game for 35 years and covered 32 Final Fours. He is a member of the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame and is a studio analyst at the Big Ten Network and NCAA Tournament Bracket analyst for Fox Sports. He also writes frequently for TSN about soccer and the NFL. Mike was born in Pittsburgh, raised there during the City of Champions decade and graduated from Point Park University.