DOHA: US coach Gregg Berhalter said his team belonged in the last 16 of the World Cup on Tuesday after defeating Iran 1-0 to set up a second round showdown with the Netherlands.
Five years after the Americans suffered the shock of failing to qualify for the 2018 finals in Russia, Berhalter has led a youthful US team into knockout rounds of the tournament.
Draws against Wales and England were followed by Tuesday’s nailbiting 1-0 win over arch-rivals Iran to seal qualification. But while Sunday’s last 16 clash with the Netherlands promises to be a step up in class, Berhalter said his team would have no trace of an inferiority complex. “It’s a great opportunity, but it’s not something that we’re going into it thinking it’s an honor,” Berhalter said. “We deserve to be in the position we’re in.
And we want to keep going. We don’t want to be going home next Wednesday. “So for us it’s how we recover from this game, and how to play a very good Dutch team.