The Orange will play against the United States in the eighth final of the World Cup tomorrow. At the closing press conference it became clear that national coach Louis van Gaal is wary of the team of former premier league player Gregg Berhalter. Daley Blind also hopes that he and the Orange will perform just as well as a number of former Ajax players at this World Cup.
“It is nice to see that Hakim Ziyech and Noussair Mazraoui are doing so well. I think Morocco did an excellent job in the group stage,” says Blind. “I wholeheartedly wish Mazraoui and Ziyech that they perform so well at the tournament. I am happy for Morocco. We are all looking at it together, but of course we have to focus on ourselves. It is nice to have it all together to get.”
Sergino Dest
Against the United States, Blind is expected to frequently encounter another former teammate at left back: Sergiño Dest. The Almere-born right back of the US has had a strong start to the World Cup and started all three group matches in the starting line-up. According to Blind, it is no surprise that the former Ajax player is doing so well.
“Sergiño broke through at Ajax at a young age. You could already see that he had a lot of talent and good technique. He made the move to FC Barcelona and of course developed further there. He is a very good player,” said Blind about Dest, who is now under contract with AC Milan.
Text continues below the photo.
National coach Louis van Gaal indicated during the well-attended press conference that he was impressed by tomorrow afternoon’s opponent. “America is an energetic team with many physically strong players. Such an opponent is difficult for any team, but not insurmountable,” said the 71-year-old from Amsterdam.
In the US, it is especially important to watch out for attacker Christian Pulisic. Chelsea’s attacker did not come out of the last group match against Iran unscathed, but seems to be making it to the match against the Orange. “Pulisic, like Cody Gakpo, is a creative player. These are players who can make a team win. This applies to Pulisic and Gakpo. That is why both players are very valuable,” said Van Gaal about the threat of the American star player.
The national coach was also asked if he was surprised by the US performance. “No”, Van Gaal was clear in that. “Football in the US is developing rapidly. Many players are active at top European clubs. So it makes sense that they are getting better and better. It is therefore no surprise to me that they would continue in their group.”
The game between the Netherlands and the United States starts tomorrow at 4 PM.