Well, they did it. This young group of budding stars for the US Men’s National Team made it out of Group B in second place with 5 points. Ahead of Wales and Iran, but behind England, the USMNT went unbeaten in group play, with ties against the Welsh and the English. It came down to the final day of the group, the US needing just one result to get through. A win. Christian Pulisic put his body on the line in the 38th minute to give the yanks the game winning goal.
USMNT vs Netherlands Prediction: A chance to shock the world for December 3
PULISIC PUTS THE USMNT ON TOP 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸@USMNT pic.twitter.com/nkcQ5DDU0i
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) November 29, 2022
Next up for the Americans is a Netherlands side that topped Group A, also going unbeaten with wins over Qatar and Senegal, while drawing Ecuador. Seven points is nothing to overlook, but this Netherlands side has not been the most convincing. Heavily reliant on 23 year old Cody Gakpo, who’s scored 3 of the 5 goals for the Dutch, there’s reason to believe the USMNT can shock the world Saturday.
Coverage/Kickoff/Betting
Coverage on FOX starts at 9am ET, with the match kicking off at 10am ET. As for betting odds, per Draft Kings, Netherlands come in as decently heavy favorites, with +100 to win. USA come in at +330 odds to win.
Keys to the Game
I’m just going to come right out and say it. This is a winnable game for the USA. It won’t be easy, but it is certainly possible. The main key, to me, is making someone other than Cody Gakpo beat you. This Netherlands side certainly has good players in it outside of Gakpo, but he has proven to be the go to man in Qatar. Find a way to neutralize him, and you give yourselves a good shot. Another big factor is just to play freely, like they did against England. Don’t bunker down and defend for your life like the agonizing last 30-40 minutes of the Iran game. Open up the play, and take the game to the Netherlands.
Prediction
This a huge moment for the USMNT. With the game being on a Saturday morning, this match could pull record numbers for the sport in America. The big conference championship games for College Football don’t kickoff until 12. This is a chance for the US to not only shock the world, but shock its own nation. A chance to inject some belief, and get the hype started for 2026, when the US cohost the World Cup, and hope to be somewhat of a contender. Call me a homer, but I’ve got a gut feeling. I think they’re gonna do it. 1-1 after 90 minutes. 1-1 after 120 minutes. The United States advance to the quarter-finals on penalty kicks, with a game winning save by Matt Turner.
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