The group stage of the World Cup has come and gone. Now it’s time for the knockouts, win or go home. With a spot in the Round of 16 against Canada on the line, the Netherlands face Morocco in one of the most anticipated matchups in the brand new Round of 32.
Match Details
Who: Netherlands vs. Morocco
What: World Cup Round of 32
Where: Estadio Monterrey (Estadio BBVA), Guadelupe, Mexico
When: Monday June 29, 9:00 PM ET / 6:00 PM PT
Watch: FOX, Telemundo, Peacock ES, Fubo Sports
Oranje Army Marching On After Dominant Group Stage
The group stage went about as well as the Netherlands could have hoped. After a shaky start to the summer in their two warm-up friendlies, some were concerned about how the Dutch would fare in the World Cup. Those concerns were put to rest pretty quickly.
They drew their opening game against a strong Japan side after unluckily conceding a late equalizer, but the Netherlands were the better team in that match. Ronald Koeman’s men then put Sweden to the sword, showing their clinical finishing in front of goal in a 5-1 win. They closed out Group F with a comfortable 3-1 win over Tunisia, good enough to finish first.
One of the biggest stories for the Netherlands has been the Oranje Army. Their fans always show up in numbers for big tournaments and the US is the latest country to have the privilege of hosting them. Before their group stage finale against Tunisia, over 36,000 fans all dressed in orange gathered in Kansas City for their famous march behind the Oranjebus. Rest assured, those fans will once again be out in full force as they travel south of the border for a knockout clash with Morocco.
The fans have been great, but the performances on the pitch haven’t been half bad either. This Dutch team is filled with big names all over the teamsheet and they’ve delivered as usual. Captain Virgil Van Dijk is anchoring the back line and getting involved in attacking set pieces as well, scoring against Japan and assisting against Tunisia. His teammate for club and country Cody Gakpo exploded against Sweden, scoring a brace and setting up Brian Brobbey’s opener. Speaking of Brobbey, his physicality up top has been a nightmare for defenders. He only played five minutes against Japan but started both remaining games and has scored three times.
Morocco Aiming For Another Deep Run
In 2022, Morocco captured the hearts of the entire world. Against all odds, the Atlas Lions made it all the way to the semifinals of the World Cup. They knocked out European giants Spain and Portugal along the way in one of the biggest dark horse runs in recent World Cup history. This time around, they’re less of an underdog and more of a legitimate contender.
Currently ranked #6 in the world, their main team has gone 40 matches unbeaten (not counting the domestic-based B team in the African Nations Championship). Although that does include the controversially awarded victory in the AFCON final, this Morocco team has become one of the toughest to play against in the entire world. Brazil found that out the hard way in their World Cup opener. Morocco frustrated them the whole match and earned a hard-fought draw. They then held on to a narrow 1-0 win against Scotland and beat a spirited Haiti team 4-2 to finish second place in Group C.
Achraf Hakimi is the biggest name in this Morocco team and he has delivered on the biggest stage. The PSG right back is consistently the best player on the pitch when he puts on his nation’s shirt. He’s an integral part to a solid defensive unit that don’t concede much, but Hakimi also gets involved in the attack and is super effective in transition. He scored and provided an assist in the win over Haiti.
Morocco don’t usually play with a traditional striker, instead relying on PSV attacking midfielder Ismael Saibari. Set for a big money move to Bayern Munich this summer, Saibari has been the breakout star of this World Cup for Morocco. He scored in every single group game for the Atlas Lions and has been the main source of attacking output. His early strikes against Brazil and Scotland gave Morocco a result to hold onto, and that’s exactly what they did.
Match Prediction
Both these teams are extremely tough to beat and that will make for a really fun and competitive knockout game. This could easily go to extra time and even penalties, and that’s what I’m picking. Give me Morocco to get an early lead and hold on for a 1-1 draw in regular time like they did against Brazil. No score in extra time before Yassine Bounou once again provides penalty heroics for the Atlas Lions.
Prediction: Netherlands 1-1 Morocco (Morocco win on penalties 5-3)
