US Coach Berhalter to Draw on Dutch Lessons at World Cup

When he coaches the United States against Oranje on Saturday for a spot in the World Cup quarterfinals in Qatar, he will try to use the lessons he learnt there.

Since 2002, the Americans have not advanced past the quarterfinals. After losing to Ghana in extra time in 2010 and Belgium in 2014 in the round of 16, the United States was eliminated, and they were unable to make the 2018 tournament.

"We deserve to be in the position we're in and we want to keep going," Berhalter said. "So for us, it's about how we recover from this game and prepare to play against a very good Dutch team, very well coached, ton of quality all over the field, and we have to come up with an idea of how to beat them."

Five prior friendly matches between the United States and the Netherlands resulted in losses for the Americans in 1998 at home and in 2004 and 2010 in Amsterdam. In 2015, the U.S. came back to defeat the Netherlands 4-3 in Amsterdam Arena thanks to goals from Bobby Wood and Danny Williams, who both scored in the 88th and 96th minutes.

There are others in the American camp that have Dutch experience besides Berhalter. Sergio Dest, a right back, was raised in the Netherlands. He chose to represent the United States as the son of an American father and a Dutch mother who achieved fame with Ajax.

"It's going to be a pretty fun one, playing against the country I was born in," he said. "I know almost every single guy over there."

In Qatar, the Americans began their campaign with draws against Wales and England before defeating Iran 1-0 thanks to a goal from Christian Pulisic, who injured his pelvis colliding with the goalkeeper. He plans to compete on Saturday.

The Netherlands, a losing finalist in 1974, 1978, and 2010, did not advance to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. The Netherlands topped Group A of this tournament by defeating host Qatar 2-0, tying Ecuador 1-1, and defeating Senegal 2-0 in the opening round.

For his third time as the manager of Oranje, Louis van Gaal, the tournament's oldest coach at 71, is back. In 2014, he led them to a third-place finish.

"If you say, well, the final 16 is enough or the quarterfinals is enough, that isn't the right way to do things," he said through a translator. "The right way to do things is to think that you'll become champion, world champion."

Since falling to the Czech Republic in the round of 16 of the previous European Championship, the Netherlands has gone 18 games without a loss.

"We have an excellent squad and we have demonstrated that on more than enough occasions," midfielder Frenkie de Jong said through a translator.