On Tuesday, Christian Pulisic scored the lone goal in the USMNT’s win against Iran in the last game of the group stage. This win placed the team second in the group and advanced the U.S. to the round of 16. The win was celebrated across the country; however, the job isn’t finished yet.

The U.S. finished second in group B, meaning it will face off against the Netherlands, which won group A. The Netherlands was able to top a fairly solid group that contained Ecuador, Qatar, and Senegal. Not only did the team top the group but it went undefeated with 2 wins and a tie with a +4 goal differential. The Dutch squad is good and poses a significant threat to the U.S. due to its attacking ability and strong defense.

The Dutch attack is led by 23-year-old Cody Gakpo who has already scored 3 goals this tournament and Memphis Depay. Both of them are high-quality attackers who play for good clubs in Europe. The attack also may see the likes of Steven Berghuis and Wout Weghorst. Both are good but are nothing when compared to players such as Harry Kane and Marcus Rashford whom the U.S. faced in the group stage. The Netherlands was able to net 5 goals compared to the 2 by the United States which can also be attributed to the midfield. Behind those players is a very solid midfield composed of some youthful players and experienced ones. Frenkie de Jong is the focal point of the midfield with his classy touch and passing ability. He plays alongside Davy Klaassen and Teun Koopmeiners who are both solid players, but for the U.S., they are nothing to be afraid of.

The scariest part of the Dutch team is the backline. The center-back partnership of Virgil Van Dijk and Matthijs de Ligt is one of the best at the World Cup. Van Dijk alone has been regarded as one of the best defenders in the world but he has just recently recovered from an ACL tear and still hasn’t returned to where he was before the injury. Though he may not be completely healthy, Van Dijk is still a great leader and is fully capable of making a large impact on his team. De Ligt is also not at the top of his game right now somewhat due to his recent transfer. In the past, he was viewed as a golden boy and one of the best young defenders in the world; however, his form has been lacking recently. The rest of the defense varies from game to game but the two players that have played the most so far are Nathan Ake, Daley Blind, and Denzel Dumfries. All three of these players have done their jobs fairly well so far by only allowing 1 goal in group play. This defense could be the reason why the United States might struggle on Saturday.

The United States’ performance in the group stage was both impressive and disappointing. Tying the first game against Wales caused the U.S. fans to panic because this was the must-win game for the group, but after the tie with England, they were at ease. In both games, the U.S. played very well but struggled to put the ball in the back of the net, especially in the England game. The midfield is very good, but the attack is struggling. In the England game especially, the U.S. had so many chances and all it needed to do was put one away and it would have beaten one of the best teams in the world. The team has the players, but it just needs to score. If that finishing touch can be added to the attack, then there will be no stopping the U.S.

The other parts of the team are exceeding expectations. The United States midfield is one of the best in the World Cup; only Spain has proven that its midfield is better. The U.S. captain, Tyler Adams, leads the midfield of Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie which has become one of the hardest-working midfield three in the world. These players have been impressive in their ability to win the ball and maintain possession which has helped them only concede 1 goal so far.

The defense has also been outstanding. Although the starting back line is still up in the air, Tim Ream and Sergiño Dest have stepped up and have made huge contributions to the team. They only conceded once in the group stage, and it was scored on a penalty. The U.S. was also able to keep a clean sheet against England which scored a total of 9 goals across all group-stage games. This defense is fully able to stop the Dutch attack, but in the end, it will all come down to the ability of the U.S. to score; however, if the U.S. get the lead early, the team may not be able to maintain the lead for the entire game which has been shown in the first few games of the tournament. During the Wales game, the U.S. was playing very well in the first half and was able to take an early lead. To hold onto this lead, the team played very defensive which ended up backfiring because Wales was able to score and cause the U.S. to draw. The same happened against Iran except Iran wasn’t able to convert on its chances. The U.S. could have easily scored another goal and put the game to bed but instead they went fully defensive and it almost cost them. Although the U.S. had some defensive struggles, the team only let in 1 goal and made it out of the group stage with two clean sheets.

The U.S. has a strong chance against the Netherlands because of the performance in the group stage. The combination of its defence and midfield make this team hard to break down, and I am sure that the Dutch attack is going to have problems creating chances because of it. The attack is the only variable, but I believe that the U.S. can pull through and win. Hopefully the boys in blue will give fans across the country an exciting game filled with goals rather than the shortage of goals not scored in their previous games.

It is going to be an exciting match on Saturday no matter if the U.S. wins or loses. The entire country has waited for this moment since the loss to Belgium in 2014, and hopefully the USMNT will advance to the quarter finals for the first time since 2002.