NETHERLANDS, FIGHTING FLU OUTBREAK AHEAD OF U.S. MATCH, MAKES SURPRISE PIVOT

AL RAYYAN, Qatar – Louis van Gaal said his Netherlands squad has been hit with a "traumatic" influenza outbreak in advance of its World Cup spherical of 16 clashes in opposition to the US on Saturday (10 a.M. ET on FOX and the FOX Sports app).

The Dutch teacher abandoned his regular pregame habit of carrying out a full eleven-on-eleven training healthy two days before kickoff and instead gave his players the break day on Thursday.

"I gave them a day of rest," van Gaal informed Dutch broadcaster NOS on Friday. "With this group, they communicate that to me. I pay attention to my gamers."

After mentioning there had been "flu signs" inside the group, he endured. 

"We aren't going to elaborate on that," he stated. "But if it is going around in the group, it is stressful."

[Scouting the Netherlands: Are the Dutch vulnerable against the U.S.?]

The disruption, believed to be due to excessive air con at the crew base, has to no longer be underestimated.

Part of Dutch soccer philosophy includes having the beginning XI play a game towards the reserves two days before they are in shape, with the second-stringers to duplicate the opponent's gambling style – much like a scout crew in the National Football League.

To depart from that at this stage of the match is hanging. Given that there are 26 players in the Netherlands squad like with every World Cup team, it's been advised through Dutch journalists that at least six gamers have been affected badly sufficient now not to educate.

Had there been 21 healthy gamers, assistant train Edgar Davids – a former country-wide team celebrity – would probably have been drafted in to fill the final education spot.

The only comment from the gamers on the problem came from midfielders Frenkie de Jong and Marten de Roon in advance of the week. De Jong complained of a scratchy throat that impacted his ability to communicate at some point during the Group A victory over Qatar, even as de Roon stated he had a chilly after reporters noticed his eyes tearing up.

USA head educate Gregg Berhalter said his training staff and participants of the squad's administrative support had been unwell at some point during their ride to the Middle East, however, they were first-rate now and the players had experienced no such concerns.

"I'm proper," captain Tyler Adams said.

As for van Gaal, a veteran teach teacher who has previously taken fees of Manchester United, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich, he also sought to turn up the strain on Saturday's referee (Brazil's Wilton Sampaio) with the aid of setting the point of interest on the match's officiating and indicating his team has been unfairly dealt with up to now.

"You noticed the 3 refs the Netherlands has skilled," van Gaal stated. "Well, I suppose we can start a dialogue on that as properly.

"Football is a physical game, it is sincerely a trend in the first 3 fits that I noticed we made extra fouls than the opponent, but I assume we had 50-60% ball ownership."

The Dutch media, strongly important to van Gaal and Netherlands' performances at some stage in this match, expressed the preferred issue that America can also have the threshold in midfielders going into the game at Khalifa International Stadium.

Adams, Yunus Musah, and Weston McKennie were a mixed pressure, at the same time as Dutch hopes with being probably pinned on a central trio of de Jong, de Roon, and Davy Klaassen.

Despite, the Netherlands' pedigree as a 3-time World Cup finalist, van Gaal turned into adamant his institution would now not be taking the Americans probably.

"The USA has tested that it has an awesome team, I might even say one of the satisfactory groups," he stated. "A team that is first-rate-tuned, a totally hard match. I am not going to downplay the united states. I think they may be an example of what a great crew is meant to be."