The Netherlands soared to victory on Saturday, sweeping aside Sweden 5-1 to give their World Cup campaign lift-off in Houston.
Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scored braces, while Crysencio Summerville added a fifth as Oranje ran riot against their Scandinavian opponents.
Anthony Elanga scored a consolation goal for Sweden, who now have the unfortunate accolade of becoming the first team to have lost their second World Cup game by four goals after winning their opening match by the same margin.
The result all but guarantees the Dutch’s progression to the last 32, while Sweden – having already picked up three points – will be looking to bounce back against Japan in their final group game.
An inspired change
Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman raised some eyebrows with his selection, bringing in Brobbey in place of the impressive Summerville from the start in the only change from the 2-2 draw with Japan.
However, the decision paid off almost instantly, with Brobbey thumping home Gakpo’s cross after five minutes before doubling his tally just over 10 minutes later when, at full stretch, he poked Denzel Dumfries’s delivery into the far corner.
With a shell-shocked Sweden desperate to get back into the game, Yasin Ayari should have done a lot better with a pin-point cross from a Viktor Gyokeres cross, before the Arsenal striker then himself drew a good stop from Bart Verbruggen.
The Scandinavians, sensing a shift in momentum, thought they had halved the deficit when defender Gustaf Lagerbielke headed in Benjamin Nygren’s whipped delivery, but the offside flag was up and the goal was chalked off.
Dutch lift-off in Houston
Half-time came too soon for the Swedes, and within three minutes of the restart, the Netherlands extended their advantage.
From another dangerous Dumfries cross, Gakpo was on hand to fire home from a few yards out to tighten the Dutch’s grip on the contest.
Seven minutes later, the Liverpool forward added a second – and his side’s fourth – following a sweeping counter attack that began with Gakpo’s teammate, Alexander Isak, conceding possession high up the pitch.
In Houston with a serious problem, Sweden needed something of a miracle. Ayari lashed a fierce effort just over before they were given a glimmer of hope when Isak atoned for his earlier error by finding Elanga with a brilliant through-ball and the substitute showed electric pace before finding the net.
Summerville, arriving off the bench at the break having scored in the first game against Japan, added a fifth late on, finding the bottom corner after another incisive Dutch passing move to complete the rout.
