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The World Cup 2022 last-16 stage will get underway on Saturday afternoon when the Netherlands and the USA square off at the Khalifa International Stadium.
The Stars and Stripes finished second in Group B to England, while Louis van Gaal's team won Group A to advance to the knockout rounds.
The Netherlands, who were widely predicted to win Group A and proceed to the round of 16, did not let the Oranje faithful down, earning seven points from their three games despite a minor slip-up against Ecuador.
With his well-taken opening goal against Qatar on Tuesday, rising star Cody Gakpo became just the fourth player in Netherlands history to score in three straight World Cup games. Frenkie de Jong also contributed with a tap-in to guarantee a first-place finish and send the hosts home empty-handed and without a point.
Even though the Netherlands have only attempted eight shots on goal during this World Cup, Van Gaal has allayed any concerns as the 2010 runners-up get set to face the knockout stages of the tournament once more.
The Netherlands, who won Group A, continued their remarkable run of making it to the round of 16 in every World Cup they have participated in since 1934. In the previous 32 years, they have only been eliminated at this stage twice: once in 1990 and once in 2006.
The Netherlands have amassed an impressive 18-game unbeaten streak across all competitions since their elimination from Euro 2020 at the hands of the Czech Republic, and Van Gaal is now out to record an 11th World Cup game without defeat - going level with second-place Mario Zagallo and one behind the all-time record of 12 held by Felipe Scolari.
Christian Pulisic, the star player for the USA, put his body on the line for the squad, suffering an injury that necessitated hospitalization, and scoring the game's lone goal in their last Group B match against Iran to advance his country to the knockout rounds of football's most prestigious competition.
When Pulisic sprinted into space and scored from close range in the 38th minute, Gregg Berhalter's team was able to move ahead of Iran and into second place behind England, setting up a tantalizing matchup with the Dutch.
The United States also advanced to the round of 16 in 2010 and 2014 before being eliminated, and they most recently made it to the quarterfinals in 2002, although recent World Cup experience versus European nations does not favor Berhalter's team.
In fact, the USA hasn't defeated a UEFA team at a World Cup since 2002; instead, they've drawn with them six times and lost five times. Additionally, the USA's three prior World Cup quarterfinal matches against European teams have all resulted in losses.
The Stars and Stripes' victory over Iran was also their first in six games, across all competitions, for the Stars and Stripes, who had lost their previous four friendly matches against the Netherlands, but had recently recorded a stunning 4-3 victory over Oranje in 2015, coming from behind 3-1 to win it late on thanks to Bobby Wood's 90th-minute goal.
