US vs. Netherlands, World Cup round of 16 preview: How they match up on the pitch and who will win?

Tuesday's dramatic 1-0 win over Iran was just the ticket for the US, as they finished second in Group B behind England and therefore booked their spot in the round of 16. Up next, however, is another potentially tricky opponent: the Netherlands, who finished top of Group A by virtue of beating Senegal and host nation Qatar in Group A.

The two will go head-to-head at Khalifa International Stadium on Saturday (10 a.m. ET) to see who advances to the quarterfinals, where the winning team will take on Argentina or Australia on that side of the bracket. Can the US keep this momentum going? Or will the Dutch, led from midfield by the mercurial Frenkie De Jong, bring that dream to an end?

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ESPN's Kyle Bonagura and ESPN Netherlands' Bob Ligthart break down Saturday's game.

What has worked for the US at this World Cup? And what hasn't?

If every team in the World Cup were judged based on how they've played in the first half alone, the United States would be considered one the best teams in the tournament.

On a per/first-half basis, they rank No. 5 in chances created (5.3), No. 10 in xG (0.7) and No. 6 in goals (0.7). Defensively, they haven't conceded and allowed just one first-half shot on goal. That's largely a credit to the tactics and team selection of Gregg Berhalter, but mainly to the midfield trio of Tyler Adams, Yunus Musah and Weston McKennie, which has drawn praise from all corners of the world. The US midfield has been nearly impossible to play through early in games, even nullifying England's Jude Bellingham and Mason Mount in that 0-0 draw.

However, the US have been significantly worse after halftime in each game, too. Looking at the same stats as above for the second halves, the US rank No. 29 in chances (2.3), No. 30 in xG (0.2) and are one of just four teams not to score. The drop-off isn't as steep defensively, as the only goal allowed came on a penalty, but opposing teams have six second-half shots on goal and more than triple their xG.

Part of that is due to game state. Against Wales and Iran, the US were protecting a lead in the second half and adopted a more defensive approach -- especially against Iran, when they went to five in the back in the 82nd minute (with 10 minutes of stoppage time). However, what was more clear during each game is that when McKennie and Musah began to tire, everything else suffered. And other than Walker Zimmerman's insertion against Iran -- he entered the game in the 82nd minute and was an assertive, dominant force in the air -- not a single substitute made a tangible positive impact. -- Bonagura

What has worked for the Netherlands at this World Cup? And what hasn't?

If you're asking about whether the Dutch are living up to expectations, the reality is that they are underperforming. Their group stage matches (against Senegal, Ecuador and Qatar) were considered dull and more like "walking football" -- the opposite of what they usually try to show during the World Cups, where they aim to play fun, attacking and enjoyable football.

The biggest spark of Dutch fun and energy came in the form of Cody Gakpo. He was Louis van Gaal's superstar from the group stage. The attacker, who has also been used as an attacking midfielder in Qatar, scored in all three group matches, making him the fourth Dutchman in history to score three games in a row at the World Cup after Johan Neeskens (1974), Dennis Bergkamp (1994) and Wesley Sneijder (2010).

Andries Noppert, Van Gaal's choice as goalkeeper, has also turned out to be a smart pick, with the Heerenveen keeper conceding only one goal. At 6-foot-8, he is the tallest player at the World Cup and played his best against their toughest opponents, Senegal. Yet this robust defense is also down to who's playing in front of him: the center-back trio of Virgil van Dijk, Nathan Ake and Jurrien Timber (or Matthijs de Ligt) is solid and has not run into many problems.

The issue in need of most adjustment is the midfield, which has been Van Gaal's biggest headache in Qatar: only De Jong can count on a starting spot with certainty.

Van Gaal has also been purposeful in not rushing players into the team. Memphis Depay, for example, started in only the last group match because he brought a minor injury with him into the World Cup. Lucky for him, and the Dutch fans, is that this squad feel fit and healthy just in time for the grueling knockout phase. -- Ligthart

Where will the game be won and lost?

It's fair to say that neither side has been able to consistently create good scoring chances. The main difference is that the Dutch have Gakpo, and the US don't have anyone, really, who has shown -- and not just at this World Cup, but going back months -- an ability to consistently finish difficult chances. So, not much should change for the US when it comes to their defensive approach (zero goals allowed from open play!) but they do need to pay particular attention to the PSV star.

I don't think either team is going to batter the opposing goal; rather, it will come down to which team is able to capitalize on momentary breakdowns or which individual player(s) can create on their own.