The 2022 edition of the FIFA World Cup is shaping up to have a memorable end with the way the knockout stages are looking. With major upsets and Cinderella runs, this has easily been one of the most entertaining tournaments in the last few years. Unfortunately, the first Round of 16 match between the USMNT and the Netherlands seem to have hit a bit of a snag.

A day before the scheduled World Cup Round of 16 game between the USMNT and the Netherlands, the Dutch team gave a grim update about the team. Apparently, some players on the roster has been dealing with the flu recently, per Leander Schaerlaeckens.
That includes star playmaker Frenkie de Jong. That doesn't bode well for their chances of making it to the semifinals.

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“It seems that the flu has also hit the Dutch camp (after the Brazilian one) before their World Cup round-of-16 match tomorrow. They won’t say how many players are sick, but it appears all-important playmaker Frenkie de Jong is among them.”

It is worth mentioning, though, that all of the Netherlands' players were able to attend practice on Friday. Still, if these rumors of flu are true, then that would surely take a toll on their play somewhat. The Dutch aren't the only team in the World Cup to deal with a similar outbreak; Brazil also had a similar problem earlier in the tournament.

The Netherlands will be facing up against a surprising opponent in the USMNT in the first game of the World Cup playoffs. The US squad is also dealing with an injury to their star, as Christian Pulisic went down with an injury earlier.