Denzel Dumfries got two assists and scored one goal to ensure Netherland win 3-1 over the USA and be the first team to qualify for the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Christian Pulisic missed a great chance to change the course of the game as he missed a one v one that was excellently saved by the legs of Andries Noppert.

Netherland made USA pay for their miss as a beautiful passage of play was finished off when Dumfries found Memphis Depay with an excellent cut-back on the edge of the area, and the Barcelona striker finished excellently.

The goal was the first open play goal USA conceded in the tournament and it had to take an excellent 20 passes to lead to the goal, the highest number of passes leading to goal by the Netherlands in the World Cup history.

Just before the end of the first half, Denzel Dumfries set up his fellow wing back Daley Blind to score the second goal in similar fashion.

Weston McKennie went close to pulling one back for the US when his header was cleared off the line by Cody Gakpo early in the second half, before goalkeeper Matt Turner came to his side’s rescue in the 72nd minute with an excellent double save to deny first Koopmeiners from range, and then Depay from the rebound.

Haji Wright did get one back for USA as he looped the ball over the goalkeeper from close range with a difficult skill.

The Orange showed the USA that there was no way back as a cross from Daley Blind found the provider of the two previous goal criminally unmarked inside the box to volley it in and make the scores 3-1.

USA came up short today not for the lack of trying nor for the lack of playing but for not converting their chances and poor defensive compactness.

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