Netherlands and USA kick off the first round of knockout games in what is an intriguing fixture.The Dutch haven’t tasted defeat since June 2021 – when they were eliminated from Euro 2020 against the Czech Republic (at the same stage of the tournament). 13 wins and 5 draws complete their 18-match unbeaten run. Goals have not been an issue either, scoring in each of their last 18 games. At the other end of the pitch, they’ve conceded 1 goal in their last 5 games – their 1-1 draw to Ecuador in game 2. Although, previous to this run, the Dutch had failed to keep a clean sheet in 6 games!As for the USA, the group stage was a little disappointing in terms of match action. Having made it through the group unbeaten (W1, D2) USA have only found the net twice. In the 3 games leading up to the tournament USA only found the back of the net on one occasion, showing their lack of instinct in front of goal – something that will prove costly as they move into the knockout stages of this tournament.Cody Gakpo has been a revelation for Netherlands. The PSV winger has scored the opener in all 3 of his countries group stage games, making it 4 goals in his last 5 games for Netherlands. I fully expect him to be the difference between the two sides in this one.With just one win in 6 games for the USA, I feel as though they’ll fall short here against a confident Dutch side. On the break, USA do look dangerous, but their opportunities will be limited today. It’s all about how resilient USA’s defence is and how long they can keep out Gakpo and co!I’ll be very surprised if Netherlands do not get the job done there and progress into the quarter finals.Score Prediction: 2-0Bet Prediction: Under 2.5 Goals
