The Netherlands soared to victory on Saturday, sweeping apart Sweden 5-1 to provide their World Cup marketing campaign lift-off in Houston.
Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored braces, whereas Crysencio Summerville added a fifth as Oranje ran riot in opposition to their Scandinavian opponents.
Anthony Elanga scored a comfort aim for Sweden, who now have the unlucky accolade of changing into the primary group to have misplaced their second World Cup sport by 4 objectives after successful their opening match by the identical margin.
The consequence all however ensures the Dutch’s development to the final 32, whereas Sweden – having already picked up three factors – will probably be trying to bounce again in opposition to Japan of their last group sport.
An impressed change
Netherlands supervisor Ronald Koeman raised some eyebrows together with his choice, bringing in Brobbey instead of the spectacular Summerville from the beginning in the one change from the 2-2 draw with Japan.
Nonetheless, the choice paid off nearly immediately, with Brobbey thumping house Gakpo’s cross after 5 minutes earlier than doubling his tally simply over 10 minutes later when, at full stretch, he poked Denzel Dumfries’s supply into the far nook.
With a shell-shocked Sweden determined to get again into the sport, Yasin Ayari ought to have finished rather a lot higher with a pin-point cross from a Viktor Gyokeres cross, earlier than the Arsenal striker then himself drew a great cease from Bart Verbruggen.
The Scandinavians, sensing a shift in momentum, thought that they had halved the deficit when defender Gustaf Lagerbielke headed in Benjamin Nygren’s whipped supply, however the offside flag was up and the aim was chalked off.
Dutch lift-off in Houston
Half-time got here too quickly for the Swedes, and inside three minutes of the restart, the Netherlands prolonged their benefit.
From one other harmful Dumfries cross, Gakpo was available to fireside house from a couple of yards out to tighten the Dutch’s grip on the competition.
Seven minutes later, the Liverpool ahead added a second – and his facet’s fourth – following a sweeping counter assault that started with Gakpo’s membership teammate, Alexander Isak, conceding possession excessive up the pitch.
In Houston and with a major problem, Sweden wanted one thing of a miracle. Ayari lashed a fierce effort simply over earlier than they got a glimmer of hope when Isak atoned for his earlier error by discovering Elanga with an excellent through-ball and the substitute confirmed electrical tempo earlier than discovering the online.
Nonetheless, no valiant Swedish comeback ever materialised. As a substitute, Summerville, arriving off the bench on the break having scored within the first sport in opposition to Japan, added a fifth late on, discovering the underside nook after one other incisive Dutch passing transfer to finish the rout.
