The Netherlands bounced back with a bang from a disappointing draw against Japan in thei first Group game. They remained absolutely dominant as they routed Sweden 5-1 at the Houston Stadium on June 21 (IST).
Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scored two goals to help the Dutch team take first place. They now have four points in their group. Meanwhile, Sweden stays at three points after suffering their worst World Cup loss since 1950.
A Perfect Start
As Netherlands started the match, they had a clear plan – to pass the ball out wide and cross it into the middle for Brian Brobbey. The star foward scored and helped Netherlands get the lead in the 5th minute. Only twelve minutes later, Brobbey scored again. He slid to reach a pass from Denzel Dumfries and tipped the ball in with his right foot to make the score 2-0.
Sweden still had chances to score, but Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen looked great in the first half. He made four big saves to keep Sweden from getting back into the game. Right before halftime, Sweden thought they scored when Gustaf Lagerbielke headed the ball into the net. However, the referees called him offside, so the goal did not count.
Gakpo Finishes the Job
Right after the halftime break, it was Cody Gakpo who took over the reins of goalscoring for the Netherlands team. He scored the third goal of the game in the 47th minute. He scored again a few moments later to put the game out of reach. In the 54th minute, he scored his second goal of the day with a hard shot from the left side, thanks to a pass from Crysencio Summerville.
Sweden finally got on the scoreboard in the 59th minute with a goal by Anthony Elanga, but they could not catch up. The Dutch team had the last laugh. In the 89th minute, Crycensio Summerville scored a goal of his own to make it 5-1. He celebrated by doing basketball star Steph Curry’s famous “night night” sleep gesture.