3:19 PM ET
Rob DawsonCorrespondent
AL RAYYAN, Qatar -- At 71 years aged and aft a coaching vocation spanning much than 30 years, Netherlands manager Louis van Gaal astir apt won't consciousness the request for vindication but, if helium did, helium could rather easy constituent to the Dutch show successful their 3-1 round-of-16 win implicit the United States connected Saturday.
Van Gaal has made it wide that his lone purpose successful Qatar is to triumph the World Cup and that acceptable alongside that goal, thing other truly matters. But aft a week during which helium has faced disapproval for what has been termed "boring" football, his squad scored 3 goals -- including 1 wonderfully worked squad determination -- and precocious to the quarterfinals for the archetypal clip since 2014.
It was nary astonishment that successful his post-match quality conference, Van Gaal was successful a playful mood, astatine 1 constituent leaning to his broadside to works a buss connected the feature of man-of-the-match Denzel Dumfries.
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It was small wonderment that Dumfries -- the Inter Milan full-back named aft Denzel Washington -- was successful his manager's bully books aft scoring 1 extremity and assisting connected 2 others. But helium also, possibly inadvertently, ensured that further questioning of Van Gaal's benignant volition person to hold different time aft revealing that the mode successful which the US were dismantled came consecutive from the grooming ground.
The Netherlands' archetypal extremity progressive a build-up of much than 20 passes that zig-zagged crossed the transportation earlier Dumfries, playing arsenic a close wing-back successful Van Gaal's 3-5-2 system, was afforded the abstraction retired wide to chopped the shot backmost into the punishment country for Memphis Depay to side-foot into the net.
"In that extremity you spot each the facets of the strategy we play," said Dumfries. "We onslaught the spaces, alteration sides good and we besides addressed that successful grooming sessions. It was a fantastic squad extremity and this is wherever you spot the halfway of the strategy being executed."
Van Gaal 1, critics 0.
He has faced doubters before, astir precocious during his spell astatine Manchester United betwixt 2014 and 2016, and what was clear, adjacent then, is that he's not going to change.
Over time, helium says he's go little acrophobic with playing attractive, expansive shot and much focused connected doing what it takes to win. At times that tin beryllium astatine likelihood with a Dutch tendency for "total football," but Van Gaal's connection since good earlier arriving successful Qatar has been that his precedence is to instrumentality location arsenic satellite champions, not conscionable triumph caller fans. His sentiment is that it's overmuch amended to beryllium preparing for a World Cup quarterfinal than to bow retired aboriginal similar Germany and Belgium.
"I cognize the media don't ever study successful a affirmative way, that is simply a given, but apical countries didn't advancement and we inactive person 3 matches," said Van Gaal pointedly aft triumph implicit the United States. "I person been talking for a twelvemonth that we tin go satellite champions, not that we will, but we can."
There's a agelong mode to spell earlier a imaginable last connected Dec. 18 but, for now, Van Gaal has astatine slightest quietened the noise.
After a drab 1-1 gully with Ecuador successful the radical stage, determination were calls for Netherlands to see much attacking players similar 19-year-old PSV Eindhoven midfielder Xavi Simons, but determination volition beryllium nary specified questions up of the past eight. Van Gaal's strategy worked truthful good against the US that 2 goals progressive 1 wing-back assisting the different -- archetypal Dumfries for Daley Blind and past Blind for Dumfries.
"I americium incredibly blessed if my players people a goal, particularly similar contiguous arsenic they were fantastic," said Van Gaal. He past added with a smile: "If the near wing-back gives a transverse to the close wing-back and the different mode around, it is marvellous and I americium truly proud."
Whether it's Argentina oregon Australia successful the adjacent round, determination volition beryllium nary alteration successful the mode Van Gaal sets up. That, helium insists, is simply a spot alternatively than a weakness.
"Team USA didn't set oregon accommodate and we based a tactical program connected that and that astir apt allowed america to win," said Van Gaal. "But I don't expect France, Argentina oregon Spain are going to accommodate to the Netherlands. I deliberation we person large chances here."
Van Gaal says helium doesn't caput the disapproval -- "I get capable appreciation from the radical astir me," helium said erstwhile asked astir it -- but helium would beryllium forgiven for affording himself a grin portion helium watches backmost the crippled astatine the squad edifice connected Sunday. He doesn't request to beryllium told he's close -- triumph oregon lose, helium believes it steadfastly -- but validation of his methods was determination against the United States, whether helium wants it oregon not.
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