The Netherlands produced a commanding World Cup performance in Houston on Saturday, crushing Sweden 5-1 to climb to the top of the Group F standings.
Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scored twice, while Crysencio Summerville added a late goal to complete the convincing victory.
The result was particularly significant given the Netherlands had entered the match under pressure following a 2-2 draw with Japan in their opening group game.
The win gives the Netherlands four points and a commanding position at the summit of Group F heading into the final round of matches.
Brobbey was the first to make his mark, scoring in just the fifth minute after Gakpo crossed into the box and the striker one-timed the ball with his right foot before tumbling to the grass.
His second arrived in the 17th minute, when he got his right foot on a cross from Denzel Dumfries while sliding to score inside the far post.
Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman praised the striker’s development, noting how improved fitness has helped Brobbey sharpen his game considerably this tournament.
“He’s fitter, he’s sharper and he’s developing really well,” Koeman said of the Ajax forward’s impressive display in the Texas heat.
Gakpo extended the lead to 3-0 just after halftime, scoring in the 47th minute off a cross from Dumfries before adding a second on a right-footed shot from the left box in the 54th minute.
“Today there was more variation in attacking play, more players in different positions, movement and all those things,” Gakpo said after the match.
“So it was maybe more difficult for the defenders to really mark us and we became free in in the box,” he added, reflecting on the improvement from the Japan draw.
Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden with a left-footed finish in the 59th minute, but it proved nothing more than a consolation on a torrid afternoon for the Swedes.
Sweden’s defeat was their heaviest at a World Cup since a 7-1 loss to Brazil all the way back in 1950, a damning statistic for Graham Potter’s side.
Potter was magnanimous in defeat, insisting the result reflected how well the Netherlands performed rather than any dramatic failings from his own squad.
“They’re a top team and they were better than us today,” Potter said. “We have to congratulate them, but I think we’ll learn a lot from the game.”
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was outstanding in the first half, producing four saves to keep Sweden at bay before the match was fully put to bed.
Sweden thought they had halved the deficit before the break when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed home, but the effort was correctly ruled out for offside.
Summerville rounded off the scoring with a goal in the 89th minute, celebrating with NBA star Steph Curry’s iconic “night night” gesture in front of the jubilant Dutch supporters.
Koeman was also in high spirits after the match, revealing that King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima had watched from a luxury suite inside the stadium. “The King was very happy,” the Dutch coach said with a smile.
Koeman was also buoyed by what the result could mean for his squad’s momentum heading toward the knockout rounds, expressing confidence that the performance would fuel belief in the camp.
“It could be that the way we played builds confidence,” he said. “Now we’ve got a slightly better piece of mind with the four points. You can build on what happened now and that’s really good.”
The Netherlands next face Tunisia in Kansas City, while Sweden take on Japan at Dallas Stadium, with both matches scheduled for Thursday night.
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