Louis van Gaal watched the Oranje stars dancing arm in arm in the center circle from a few meters away with a satisfied expression. The much-criticized coach celebrated the Netherlands' entry into the quarter-finals of the World Cup and increased Oranje's tenuous hopes for the title.
After a performance that was clarified over long stretches, Elftal only had to worry about progressing 3-1 (2-0) against a passionately fighting US selection. Twelve years after the last World Cup final at the tournament in South Africa, Holland is hoping to take part in the final on December 18 - but van Gaal's ensemble cannot afford to falter, as in the second half against the USA. Opponents in Friday's quarterfinals are either Lionel Messi and Argentina or Australia.
"Of course we're very happy that we're in the quarter-finals. But we remain self-critical," said central defender Virgil van Dijk, adding: "A lot of people are critical at home because they know we can play better. There are still a lot of things that we can do better. Especially when we have the ball."
Dumfries: "We believe in ourselves"
Regarding the prospect that three more victories would mean the world title, the 31-year-old said: "It sounds very easy. We'll see. We'll definitely do everything we can for it." Defender colleague Denzel Dumfries summed it up: "Overall I'm very satisfied. We believe in ourselves, we have a strong team, great players, strong players."
In the first and not very atmospheric round of 16 on Saturday in the Chalifa International Stadium, van Gaal was delighted on his coaching bench with the goals played, some of which were very impressive - and that he had shown it to the critics of his style of play. The weak phase after the break should have annoyed him.
Memphis Depay (10th minute), Daley Blind (45th 1) and the outstanding Dumfries (81st) documented the difference between a true title contender and a talented but not yet mature national team with their goals in front of 44,846 fans.
USA engaged, Netherlands effective
The young US selection around goalscorer Haji Wright (76th) then showed what mentality is in them - and came back into the game impressively. In doing so, she aroused anticipation at home with high ratings for the World Cup in four years, which she is hosting together with Mexico and Canada. This time the US kickers had to watch the Dutch team jumping next to them on the pitch, exhausted. Disappointed, they said goodbye to their fans.
US coach Gregg Berhalter later admitted: "It was a difficult game." Nevertheless, he was "proud" of his eleven: "The boys played it great. It was competitive, we were close. The boys did everything they could."
The Americans around the star Christian Pulisic, who recovered in time, put in a committed performance, but after the effective goal to make it 0-1, they were only able to make a decisive impression in the final phase, despite some good advances and opportunities. With the effectiveness of the Dutch, who have been unbeaten since van Gaal took office in September 2021, more would have been possible.
First tournament goal for Depay
In contrast to his US coaching colleague Berhalter, who always pushed loudly and with gestures from the sidelines, the veteran van Gaal sat on his bench for almost the entire season. As a World Cup oldie among the 32 coaches, the 71-year-old was delighted that Depay steered the game between two teams unbeaten in the group stage in the direction he wanted with his first goal of the tournament after a series of passes over 20 stations.
Depay, of all people, for whom principles coach van Gaal made what he said was a unique exception. The FC Barcelona striker, who was out for two months with a thigh problem, was still allowed into the squad.
The fact that his most experienced man made it 2-0 and thus decided the game early fitted perfectly into van Gaal's strategy. Blind, who has been playing with a pacemaker since the end of 2019, celebrated only his third goal in his 98th international match in the arms of Wout Weghorst. After the cheering that followed right in front of van Gaal, there was a particularly warm hug from father and trainer Danny. A special thanks from the scorers went to Dumfries, who set up the two goals.
US team lacks callousness
Pulisic, who suffered a bruised pelvis in the celebrated 1-0 winning goal against Iran, missed a great opportunity in the early stages (3'). His colleagues Tim Ream (52nd), Weston McKennie (54th) and Wright (75th) also appeared dangerously up front - but in the end the callousness was too often missing.
Berhalter, once a professional in the Netherlands in the 1990s, tried to turn the tide again through changes - including Dortmund's Giovanni Reyna - and, like last time in 2002, to reach the quarter-finals. On the other side, Matt Turner kept his team in the game, but the Dutch also played their attacks sloppily to the end.
