The World Cup soccer tournament officially enters the knockout stages today, kicking off with the United States facing off against the Netherlands and Australia playing Argentina.
Sixteen teams advanced to the knockout stage of the World Cup, each vying for a spot to play in the final round on Dec. 18. The U.S. men’s soccer team is scheduled to play against the Netherlands, which is favored to advance to the next round.
The U.S. team has fared fairly well so far in the tournament, as they have yet to lose a game so far in the 2022 World Cup. But the European power team is predicted to win, with FiveThirtyEight giving the U.S. only a 1% chance of winning on Saturday.
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The U.S. has a decent chance of giving a strong performance, as the midfield players are a stronghold of the team. When Wales played against the U.S. on Nov. 21, the team struggled to move the ball past the midfield, resorting to passing long balls in an attempt to score. The teams ended with a tie score of 1-1.
Once teams get past the midfield, the U.S. wall of defense comprised of Weston McKennie, Yunus Musah, Tyler Adams, Sergio Dest, and Antonee Robinson has made it difficult for teams to position themselves for prime scoring opportunities. As a result, the U.S. has benefited from being able to control large portions of the game by dominating both the defensive zone and the midfield.
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However, the team struggles with pacing itself when unleashing its relentless running and offensive techniques — which, when combined with injuries from of the team’s best players, causes the team’s strength to wane as the clock ticks on. This kind of fatigue has plagued some players’ performance, and the U.S. team will need to learn how to effectively manage their energy if they wish to advance to the next round.
