Pushing the limits: United States’ Christian Pulisic (centre) colliding with Iran’s Alireza Beiranvand after he scored the first goal. — Reuters
GREGG Berhalter knows plenty about Dutch football – he turned pro in Holland 28 years ago.
He will look to draw on the lessons he learned there when he coaches the United States against Oranje today for a place in the quarter-finals of the World Cup in Qatar.
The Americans have not reached the quarter-finals since 2002.
The US were knocked out in the last 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, tonne of quality all over the field, and we have to come up with an idea of how to beat them.
The US have played Holland five times previously, all in friendlies, losing at home in 1998 and at Amsterdam in 2004 and 2010.
The US rallied for a 4-3 win at Amsterdam Arena in 2015 when Danny Williams equalised in the 88th minute and Bobby Wood scored 96 seconds later.
Berhalter isn’t the only person in the US camp with Dutch experience.
Rightback Sergino Dest grew up in Holland. A son of a Dutch mother and American father, who rose to prominence with Ajax, he opted to play for the US.
“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 US opened “their 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 today.
A losing finalist in 1974, 1978 and 2010, the Dutch also failed to reach the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Holland opened this tournament with a 2-0 win over Senegal, tied Ecuador 1-1 and beat hosts 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 quarter-finals 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 champions, world champions.”
Holland on an 18-game unbeaten streak since losing to the Czech Republic in the last 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
