De Oranje comfortably dismantled the USA with first half goals from Memphis Depay and Daley Blind. Van Gaal’s side quickly crushed a USA fight back, with Denzel Dumfries volleying home their third of the night, just five minutes after Haji Wright had pulled one back for the Star and Stripes.
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Despite the result, Van Gaal was critical of his sides first half performance, stating:
“However in the first half we suffered so much, we were dispossessed so often, and it is not necessary.”
“That is not acceptable in a World Cup if you play top countries.”
Van Gaal praised his second half performance however, saying:
“In the second half we made a much better job of it even though we scored fewer goals.”
Embed from Getty ImagesThe former Manchester United manager went as far as claiming he believes “we (Netherlands) can become world champions”.
Perhaps with an eye on the 2026 World cup on home soil, USA manager Greg Berholter praised how his group has progressed in the last few years saying,
“Really proud, When you think about this group and how they’ve come together over the last three-and-a-half years, It’s really special to see.”
