The USMNT advanced from Group B with some difficulty, but they will meet Group A winners, the Netherlands, in the Round of 16 of the 2022 World Cup. Even though they will be facing a European powerhouse with World Cup experience, this is still a favorable matchup given that they have avoided such heavy hitters as Brazil, Argentina, Spain, France, and others.
The Dutch continued their extraordinary run to the round of 16 at every World Cup since 1934 when they finished first in Group A. They have now reached this stage of the tournament in every World Cup since 1934, with the exception of 1990 and 2006. The Oranje were also undefeated in the group stage, but they looked weak at times. This was particularly true against Ecuador, who pressured them so hard that they were fortunate to escape with a point.
While, a strong victory against Iran in a high-stakes, winner-take-all encounter demonstrated that Gregg Berhalter's men can perform under heavy pressure. It's a competitive matchup, despite the oddsmakers having the Netherlands as the favorite; both teams have a good shot of advancing to the Quarter-Finals.
What would happen if the USMNT lose to the Netherlands in the Qatar 2022 Round of 16?
Quite simply, if the United States national soccer team suffer a defeat, they would be knocked out of the tournament in the last 16. For the World Cup, the Knockout Round consists of one-game playoffs.
Therefore, there is no opportunity to win the series by taking game two. There is no room for a mistake in this win-or-go-home approach. In order to go through to the Quarter-Finals, the USMNT must win, either in regular time, after extra time, or on penalties.
