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          Netherlands vs. USA: Highlights and reactions

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          Leboeuf slams USA defending in World Cup loss to Netherlands (1:29)

          Frank Leboeuf criticises USA's defending as they crashed out of the Qatar World Cup to Netherlands in the last 16. (1:29)

          • ESPN
          Dec 3, 2022, 06:01 PM

          The United States' run at the 2022 World Cup is over after falling 3-1 to a formidable Netherlands squad.

          The USMNT had several promising chances in the match but failed to convert them into goals. The Dutch, on the other hand, capitalized when given the chance to press the advantage or punish the US for a mistake.

          While the United States head home, the Netherlands await the winner of Saturday's Argentina-Australia match.

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          Here are the top moments and biggest plays from the match.

          FULL-TIME: Netherlands 3, USA 1

          The full-time whistle blows, and it's a Netherlands 3-1 win over the United States. The Americans' run in Qatar comes to an end in the round of 16.

          Before this tournament started, the USMNT's goal would've been to emerge from a competitive group that contained England, Iran and Wales, and they did that. From that perspective, this World Cup has to be considered a success for the second-youngest team at the tournament.

          They won't feel like they played their best in this game, though. A pair of defensive lapses gifted goals to Blind and Dumfries, and Pulisic and Wright each missed opportunities that, at this level, have to be converted. This was a game that the US could've, maybe even should've, gotten something from. To fall by a 3-1 margin in such a scenario will be a bitter pill to swallow.

          81st minute: The Dutch answer back just five minutes later, and it's Dumfries. Blind goes wing-back to wing-back, no one picks up Dumfries at the far post and the 26-year-old Internazionale man restores the Netherlands' two-goal lead. With two assists and now a goal, he has been incredible in this round-of-16 contest.

          76th minute: With 15 minutes to go, the US get one back. The US recycle possession after a corner, with Pulisic attacking from the right wing, and his ball in takes a bizarre deflection off the leg of Wright, skies high into the air and floats in at the back post. Game on!

          68th minute: The USMNT have been more aggressive in committing numbers forward, but it hasn't resulted in many greater opportunities. In fact, the biggest chances have come going the other way, with the Netherlands more than happy to attack space vacated by defenders pushing into the attacking third.

          We have some substitutions to account for now. Wright and Brenden Aaronson are set to come in, replacing Weah and McKennie, respectively, while Robinson had a coming together with Dumfries that saw him receive treatment for several minutes. The Fulham left-back will continue, but he looks less than 100 percent.

          55th minute: It's been an entertaining start to the second half, with action at both ends. First, Ream had a headed effort cleared off the line, before the Dutch went down to the other end and very nearly forced a Zimmerman own-goal.

          The US are winning the possession battle 60.6% to 39.4%, and the tale of xG is also firmly in the Americans' favor: 1.29 to 0.24. Yet, in the one stat that actually matters, it's all Netherlands.

          51st minute: The Americans start the second half with one substitution: Gio Reyna coming on for Ferreira. The FC Dallas man did little to create or finish chances, and his noted ability to pull defenders out of position did little for his teammates. Now it's a question of whether Reyna, who's played all of seven minutes in Qatar, can jump-start this attack.

          HALF-TIME: Netherlands 2, USA 0

          The US had been playing their way back into this game in the final 15 minutes of the half, dominating possession and getting good looks. Weah and Dest in particular were looking dangerous. And just as happened at the 10-minute mark, all the Netherlands needed was one opportunity, and they took it to make it 2-0.

          Off a Dutch throw, Ferreira failed to clear the danger, allowing the Oranje to reset in the attacking third. Dest didn't pick up the diagonal run Daley Blind made from left wing-back and the 32-year-old Ajax man cleanly finished the chance. A naive moment from the US, and it cost them.

          The USMNT have never won a World Cup match after conceding the first goal. They've never won a World Cup match when trailing at half-time, and their 14 losses from such a position is the second most in tournament history. They are 0-11-1 in World Cups when trailing by two goals or more, with the lone draw coming in 2010, when they drew 2-2 with Slovenia in dramatic fashion.

          Berhalter has some decisions to make at the interval, because the US need to create more clear-cut chances and they need to be more clinical in their finishing. That could be a worry, because the US have been among the poorest teams in the second half at Qatar 2022, and Berhalter's subs have been almost universally ineffective.

          31st minute: The US have stabilized in the past 10 minutes, reestablishing their rhythm and rebuilding a possession advantage, but they look very vulnerable in transition. Ferreira up front and Ream at the back have each turned the ball over twice in the middle third, creating threatening looks for the Netherlands on the run.

          20th minute: That goal has completely changed the game. Possession has quickly turned in favor of the Dutch, who now hold a 51.8%-48.2% edge, the once-raucous pro-US crowd has gone quiet, the Americans are showing signs of nerves and the Netherlands look so much more comfortable than they did in the first 10 minutes.

          10th minute: It was a very encouraging start for the US. They were forcing the Netherlands to chase, possessing 72% of the ball in the opening minutes, and they were creating good looks and clear opportunities.

          Pulisic, as you might imagine, has had the best of the bunch so far. A looped ball over the top of the Dutch defense from McKennie sent Pulisic in one-on-one with goalkeeper Andries Noppert, but he fired directly at the 6-foot-8 Heerenveen No. 1.

          And yet, entirely against the run of play, the Netherlands have the lead. Denzel Dumfries finds space on the right flank and pulls a ball back to the top of the box, and Memphis coolly finishes into the bottom corner. The expected goals (xG) value from that opportunity was just 0.07.

          A brutal retort for the Americans, just minutes after Pulisic should've opened the scoring.

          Starting XIs

          After a week in which the entirety of the United States couldn't stop talking about Christian Pulisic's pelvis, we have our confirmation: the Americans' No. 10 is fit to start in this round-of-16 contest against the Netherlands. Josh Sargent is less fortunate, though, the Norwich City striker is unavailable after suffering an ankle injury against Iran on Tuesday.

          It wouldn't be a US men's national team lineup without some questions for manager Gregg Berhalter, though. Jesus Ferreira didn't play a minute in the group stage, but he starts up front in arguably the biggest game in USMNT history. This is a defensible selection from Berhalter, though. With Sargent unavailable, the US have few other options at the No. 9, with Haji Wright failing to impress in either of his appearances in the group stage.

          The manager could've opted for more of a false nine, with a formation spearheaded by Timothy Weah or even Giovanni Reyna, but each of those options presents problems. One, Weah has excelled on the right of the Americans' front three in this tournament, stretching opposing backlines and creating space for those operating more centrally. Reyna, meanwhile, is something of an enigma, with some disagreement over his fitness, making a start an unlikely proposition.

          Further back, Walker Zimmerman resumes his role in the center of defense, at the expense of Cameron Carter-Vickers, who performed admirably in the win over Iran. Berhalter said on Tuesday that he chose the Celtic center-back because of his comfort and familiarity playing against teams who operate out of a low block in defense, but with the Dutch expected to hold a possession edge and take the game to the Americans, Zimmerman is restored to the starting XI.

          Finishing runners-up in Group B, the US couldn't have asked for much more given they had to face a group winner in the round of 16. The Netherlands hardly impressed in a weak Group A, often looking ponderous in possession and, Cody Gakpo aside, offering very little threat in attacking areas. The latter should change today, though, with Memphis Depay seemingly fully fit and starting for the first time this tournament.

          The Dutch possess an attack that the US should respect but not fear. The Americans are the only team in this World Cup yet to concede from open play, so Zimmerman, Tim Ream, Sergino Dest and Antonee Robinson should be feeling confident heading into this contest.

          Frenkie de Jong is among the best midfielders in the world, but the Barcelona playmaker apart, the Netherlands are fairly weak in the middle. Not only has the triumvirate of Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie and Yunus Musah been one of the most impressive midfields in this tournament, they'll also have a numbers advantage in the middle of the park.

          Where this match will be decided, though, is in the Americans' attacking third. The US have only scored two goals in this tournament, and they'll match up against a defense of Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake and Ajax starlet Jurrien Timber -- a back three that few in Qatar could best.

          Famous fans are ready