Results
Netherlands 3-1 USA
Argentina 2-1 Australia
Netherlands and Argentina defeated United States of America and Australia respectively in the round of last 16 games to progress to the quarterfinals where they will face each other.
Netherlands were the favourites to progress against USA and they proved there worth as they dominated play with Barcelona forward Mamphis Depay opening up the scoring in the 10th minute after being set up by a cross from Denzel Dumfries.
USA squandered a couple of chances an early opportunity fell to Christian Pullisic when he found himself in one on one situation but he couldn’t beat goalkeeper Andries Noppert.
The orange boys were the better side on the day with USA struggling with defending crosses and they were once again punished by Delay Blind as he doubled their lead in the 45th minute.
USA pulled a goal back as Tim Weah scored in accrobatic style as cross from Pullisic met him on his way to the ground and found its path to the goal in the 76th minute.
In an hunt for an equaliser, USA struggled alot with crosses and they were once punished as Dumfries also spared time to register his name on the scores sheet as he guided across from Delay Blind into the goal beating Matt Turner to seal a 3-1 victory for Netherlands as the progressed to the next round.
Argentina found an easy way as they defeated Australia 2-1 to seal a spot in the quarterfinals with captain Lionel Messi marking his 1000th career game with a win for both club and country.
Messi lived to his expectation as he scored the opening goal for Argentina after being set up by Nicolas Otamendi to beat the goalkeeper Matt Ryan to the far corner in the 35th minute.
Julian Alvarez doubled Argentina’s lead in the 57th minute after goalkeeper Matt Ryan made a hilarious mistakes to allow Alvarez put the ball in the back of the net.
Enzo Fernandez helped the socceroos pull a goal back as he deflected a shot into his own net beating his Goalkeeper Emmiliano Martinez.
Argentina will now face Netherlands in the quarterfinals with the last time both sides met in a world Cup game it was the south Americans progressing to the finals in spot kicks after a goalless draw in the semi-finals of the 2014 World Cup in Russia.
