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| US head coach Gregg Berhalter of the United States celebrates after the World Cup group B soccer match between Iran and the United States at the Al Thumama Stadium in Doha, Qatar, Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. (AP Photo/Ricardo Mazalan) |
Gregg Berhalter knows plenty about Dutch soccer — he turned pro in the Netherlands 28 years ago.
He will look to draw on the lessons he
learned there when he coaches the United States against Oranje on Saturday for
a place in the quarterfinals of the World Cup in Qatar.
The Americans have not reached the
quarterfinals since 2002. The U.S. was knocked out in the round of 16 in
extra-time losses to Ghana in 2010 and Belgium in 2014, then failed to qualify
for the 2018 tournament.
“We deserve to be in the position we’re in
and we want to keep going,” Berhalter said. “So for us, it’s about how we
recover from this game and prepare to play against a very good Dutch team, very
well coached, ton of quality all over the field, and we have to come up with an
idea of how to beat them.”
The United States has played the
Netherlands five times previously, all in friendlies, losing at home in 1998
and at Amsterdam in 2004 and 2010. The U.S. rallied for a 4-3 win at Amsterdam
Arena in 2015 when Danny Williams equalized in the 88th minute and Bobby Wood
scored 96 seconds later.
Berhalter isn’t the only person in the U.S.
camp with Dutch experience. Right back Sergiño Dest grew up in the Netherlands.
A son of a Dutch mother and American father, who rose to prominence with Ajax,
he opted to play for the U.S.
“It’s going to be a pretty fun one, playing
against the country I was born in,” he said. “I know almost every single guy
over there.”
The U.S. opened its campaign in Qatar with
draws against Wales and England, then beat Iran 1-0 on a goal by Christian
Pulisic, who bruised his pelvis crashing into the goalkeeper. He hopes to play
Saturday.
A losing finalist in 1974, 1978 and 2010,
the Dutch also failed to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Netherlands
opened this tournament with a 2-0 win over Senegal, tied Ecuador 1-1 and beat
host Qatar 2-0 to top Group A.
Louis van Gaal, at 71 the oldest coach at
the tournament, is back for his third stint leading Oranje. He guided them to a
third-place finish in 2014.
“If you say, well, the final 16 is enough
or the quarterfinals is enough, that isn’t the right way to do things,” he said
through a translator. “The right way to do things is to think that you’ll
become champion, world champion.”
The Netherlands is on an 18-game unbeaten
streak since losing to the Czech Republic in the round of 16 at last year’s
European Championship.
“We have an excellent squad and we have
demonstrated that on more than enough occasions,” midfielder Frenkie de Jong
said through a translator. -AP