Guwahati: The first match of the FIFA World Cup 2022 Round of 16 will be played between the Netherlands and the USA. The Dutch could not qualify for the FIFA 2018 in Russia after finishing third at Brazil 2014. The same goes for the American team. They could not qualify last time either.
The Netherlands topped Group A with two victories and a tie, defeating Senegal 2-0 in the opening match, drawing with Ecuador 1-1 and beating host Qatar 2-0. The United States finished second in Group B after drawing with England and Wales and winning 1-0 over Iran.
Netherlands
The Oranje will be riding high on confidence after showcasing strong performances at the group stages even though the Netherlands have only attempted eight shots on goal throughout this world cup. They were among the top-scoring teams moving to the next round. Morocco, England and the Netherlands scored the highest points (7) in the round. The 2010 runners-up are set to face the knockout stages of the tournament once more.
USA
The USA reached the knockout stage by drawing two and winning one. They have shown strong defensive skills but scored only twice in three matches. Their biggest achievement must have been keeping England at bay in a goalless draw. They will be banking on their defensive strategies again. But, they must score in the knockouts, which are quite different from the group matches.
Date, Time & Venue
The Netherlands vs USA match will be played on December 3 at 08:30 PM (Indian time) in the Khalifa International Stadium, Al Rayyan.
