The Netherlands delivered a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston, thrashing Sweden 5-1 to move to the brink of the knockout rounds.
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey each scored twice as Ronald Koeman’s side produced a rampant display in front of nearly 69,000 fans at NRG Stadium. The win gives the Dutch four points from two games to top Group F, ahead of Sweden on three points, Japan with one, and Tunisia yet to get off the mark.
Sunderland striker Brobbey made his first start of the tournament count, netting in the 5th and 17th minutes. The 24-year-old, who had scored just once for his country since debuting three years ago, proved too strong for Sweden’s defense.
The opener came from a Premier League connection, with Liverpool’s Gakpo crossing low for Brobbey to stab home from close range.
Gakpo took over early in the second half, scoring twice to put the game beyond Sweden. The Dutch winger first prodded in a low Dumfries cross two minutes after the break, then added a composed finish in the 54th minute after cutting inside his defender.
All three Dutch goals before then followed a similar pattern, with dangerous low crosses from Denzel Dumfries causing constant problems.
Sweden, who had thrashed Tunisia 5-1 in their opener, struggled to contain Brobbey’s physical presence and created chances but lacked a clinical edge.
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Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres were kept quiet for much of the game, while goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen made several key saves to keep the Netherlands ahead.
Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish after racing clear of the Dutch defense. But West Ham’s Crysencio Summerville had the final say in the dying minutes, scoring his second goal of the tournament to make it 5-1.
Despite the heavy defeat, Sweden remain in contention to reach the last 32. Coach Graham Potter’s side will face Japan next, while the Netherlands play Tunisia in their final group game. Japan and Tunisia were set to meet later Saturday in Monterrey.
The match also drew high-profile guests, with two crew members from NASA’s Artemis II lunar mission attending as VIPs in a nod to Houston’s status as the home of space flight.
The Dutch, backed by their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander, will take confidence into the knockout stages after bouncing back from a 2-2 draw with Japan.
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