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The group stage is over and it’s time for the main event as the knockout rounds of the 2022 FIFA World Cup begin. There’s no time for easing yourself into the games that matter as they start of with a bang as the United States square off against the Netherlands in one of the most intriguing matches of the round, followed by Argentina taking on one of the surprise teams of the tournament in Australia.
For the U.S., Saturday’s match offers the possibility of matching their best performance at a men’s World Cup in the modern era. The 2002 run to the quarterfinals is the deepest run since the very first World Cup in 1930 where two group stage wins put them in the semifinals. This is a Netherlands team that wasn’t really challenged by their competition, which included Ecuador, Senegal and hosts Qatar in Group A. The U.S., on the other hand, were pushed by one of the tournament favorites in England, who they held to a 0-0 draw. In between that, they drew 1-1 with Wales in the opener and beat Iran 1-0 to secure advancement.
Listen below and follow In Soccer We Trust: A CBS Sports Soccer Podcast where your three favorite former USMNT players cover everything you could possibly want to know about the United States men’s national team during the World Cup in Qatar.
Saturday’s World Cup schedule
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Netherlands vs. United States, 10 a.m. ET
One matchup to watch: Cody Gakpo vs. Sergino Dest/Antonee Robinson. Gakpo is the main scorer for the Netherlands and he usually plays on the right side of attack for them (either as a striker or a winger, depending on how you define his position). But it might be tempting for the Netherlands to switch it up and play him on the left, where he plays for his club, PSV Eindhoven, in order to match him up against the defensively suspect Dest. Either way, the Dutch don’t create many chances, but when they do, it’s Gakpo getting on the end of them. He’s scored in each of the Netherlands game so far and it will be on the American fullbacks to see it doesn’t happen again
Most likely to score a goal: Lionel Messi. After having his penalty saved against Poland, he’ll be hungry to score here and should. On paper, Argentina are 10 times better than the Aussies, but the same was true against Saudi Arabia. Messi knows that any lead they get, they need to build on it and not let anybody stick around. Expect him to take quite a few hits from deep in this one.
Man of the Match pick: Enzo Fernandez. He’s been massive since the second game and looks to be cementing his spot in the middle. He can do a bit of everything and has the quick decision-making instincts needed to change a game in attack. He’ll be huge once again.
Match prediction: Similar to the Poland game, Argentina dominate possession and the chances as the scoreline doesn’t reflect how one-sided it is. Argentina 2, Australia 0.