FIFA World Cup: Netherlands in quarterfinals - Denzel Dumfries shines with a goal and two assists
The Netherlands defeated the USA 3-1 to advance to the World Cup quarterfinals, with Denzel Dumfries contributing to all of the goals.
The Netherlands punished American defensive lapses and were clinical in front of goal to knock a naïve USA team out of the 2022 World Cup.At the Khalifa International Stadium, Memphis Depay scored the game's first goal in the tenth minute, and Daley Blind added a second just before halftime.
The U.S. threatened to mount a comeback when Haji Wright reduced the deficit n the 76th minute, but Dumfries ensured the Dutch would advance to the last eight with his third goal five minutes later.
Dutch coach Louis van Gaal fielded an unchanged side from the last group game against Qatar, while Walker Zimmerman and Jesus Ferreira were dropped by the USA.
Gregg Berhalter's side got off to an excellent start and had a great chance to take the lead as early as the third minute when Tyler Adams laid the ball off for Christian Pulisic, but Andries Noppert made a superb save.
The early offensive efforts came from the US, but the Netherlands scored with their first real push.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Two assists, one goal-line clearance, one goal.<br><br>Denzel Dumfries did it all today 😤 <a href="https://t.co/4RAymrnAdY">pic.twitter.com/4RAymrnAdY</a></p>— B/R Football (@brfootball) <a href="https://twitter.com/brfootball/status/1599091776115167233?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 3, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
In one of the best moves of the tournament, the Dutch played their way through the opposition ranks before Dumfries played the ball back perfectly from the right to the onrushing Depay, who fired it into the bottom corner.
The Dutch were criticised at home for their boring football, and for the next half hour, they were content to keep their opponents at bay, apart from a shot from Blind that went well over the bar.
Noppert was tested again in the 43rd minute by a Timothy Weah shot from 22 yards, but the Netherlands doubled their lead in first-half stoppage time.
Berhalter's side needed a quick answer and almost got it when Tim Ream got in a shot from a corner, but the defender could not hold the ball, and Cody Gakpo cleared off the line.
Once more, Dumfries passed the ball into the middle from the right, but this time, Blind was the one to score the goal and celebrate with his father, Danny.
After the halftime break, both coaches made substitutions, with Giovanni Reyna going on for the USA and Steven Bergwijn and Teun Koopmeiners for the Netherlands.
Matt Turner had to be on his guard to prevent an own goal from Zimmerman, who cleared a Dumfries cross with his toe before deflecting Depay's shot over the bar.
The US lived dangerously and pressed to get back into the game. Turner made a brilliant save in the 71st minute when he parried Koopmeiner's shot and then rose to block Depay's header.
That looked even more important five minutes later when the US scored.
Wright had previously come near when he intercepted a sloppy ball from Bergwijn and manoeuvred around Noppert, but his shot was too wide, allowing Dumfries to clear.
Pulisic was the architect of the goal with a ball from the right that Wright somehow flicked with his heel, over Noppert, and into the far corner.
The goalkeeper came out to clear as Wright tried to break through again, but it was all over for the US hopes with nine minutes remaining as the Dutch broke away and Dumfries scored the third goal they deserved.