Denzel Dumfries had a slow start to the World Cup. But the Dutch right-back stepped up spectacularly in the round of 1 match against the USA. The Inter defender - one of the stars at last year's Euro 8 - provided two assists and scored the third goal in the 2020-3 win to help secure Friday's quarter-final clash with Argentina. The Dutch will have to find a way to stop Lionel Messi as the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner continues his quest for a first World Cup.
Coach Louis van Gaal will be hoping his side expose the gaps in Argentina's defence, mainly on the counter-attack. For this Dumfries and left-back Daley Blind will be crucial.
The pair assisted on each other's goals in the victory over the Americans, while Van Gaal's 3-4-1-2 formation came up short. Dumfires is considered a very important player in this system.
"Dumfries is important even though it was heavily criticized in the first game. In this system the full-backs are really important and Dumfries are doing a great job, not overlooking Blind either. If you see them helping each other, then we're OK," said Dutch midfielder Davy Klaassen.
Kylian Mbappe is the tournament's top scorer with five goals, while other wingers who have impressed include England duo Marcus Rashford and Bukayo Saka, as well as Brazil's Vinicius Junior. Wingers have been more important than usual at the Qatar tournament, according to former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, now FIFA's head of football development.
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"The teams with the best wingers are the ones that have the best chance of winning because the game is changing towards the wings," Wenger said. "Teams are blocking the center and the attacks are going to both wings."
Holland's wing attacks come from Blind and Dumfries, with Memphis Depayne and Cody Gakpon moving forward to partner Klaassen in an attempt to punish the opposition.
The positives of Van Gaal's system were best demonstrated in the opening goal against the USA, when a sweeping 20-pass move was finished by Depay after Dumfries' assist.
"In that goal you see all aspects of the system we play," Dumfries said. “We really attack spaces and switch sides really well. It was a fantastic team goal. Here you see the core of the system being executed."
The Netherlands had little trouble with this system in the first round, but still finished top of Group A after wins over Qatar and Senegal and a draw with Ecuador.
"We knew beforehand that we could play better. "We didn't lose in the group stage, but we felt we could play better because of the system we have," Dumfries admitted.
Three-time world runners-up the Dutch hope to peak at the right time in their quest to win the title for the first time in history.
"We are growing in the tournament, improving every game and we are in the quarter-finals," said captain Virgil van Dijk. "We came here with one goal and that is to become world champions. And we have to win every game. That's what we're trying to do."
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Dumfries, named after American film star Denzel Washington, impressed at Euro 2020 with his first two international goals in the group stage. Those performances helped him secure a move from PSV Eindhoven to Inter, while his name has recently been linked with a move to the Premier League.
"I play for a very big club in Italy and I am very proud to be able to play for Inter," said Dumfries. "I am currently not focused on anything other than Holland."
