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The Netherlands crushed Sweden by 5-1 this Saturday at the NRG Stadium in Houston, in a of the , which the Dutch resolved with authority from the opening whistle. The result solidifies their lead in the group and brings them closer to the knockout stage with a strong stride.
The story of the encounter was written by Brian Brobbey in the first half. The 23-year-old forward, trained at Ajax and called up by Ronald Koeman, opened the scoring in the fifth minute with a precise shot and repeated the formula in the 17th minute, completing a brace that practically sealed the match before halftime. Sweden, arriving at the clash as the leader of the after thrashing Tunisia 5-1 in the opening match, found no response to the Dutch's dominance.
The second half began with the same script. Cody Gakpo took advantage of the early moments to score in the 47th minute, just a minute after the restart, and extended the lead in the 54th with his second goal, making it 4-0 on the scoreboard. Two goals in seven minutes that definitively dashed Swedish hopes.
The Scandinavian team tried to respond with three simultaneous substitutions between the 55th and 56th minutes: Elanga, Zeneli, and Bergvall came on. The response came immediately: Anthony Elanga, freshly entered, narrowed the gap in the 59th minute to 4-1, giving his team a brief respite. However, the goal did not change the course of the match or disturb a Dutch side that continued to control the game with assurance.
Crysencio Summerville, who had come on at halftime in place of Donyell Malen, sealed the deal in the 89th minute with the final score of 5-1. The winger, who had already scored in the 2-2 draw against Japan on the opening day, made his mark on the scoreboard once again from the bench.
The statistics reveal a match that was more closely contested than the final score suggests. Sweden generated 15 shots compared to the 10 from the Netherlands, with both teams having seven shots on target. The Netherlands also had a greater number of corners (four to two). Possession was nearly equal, with the Dutch holding 52% and the Swedes 48%. The difference was marked by the devastating efficiency of the Netherlands, who converted their chances with surgical precision. Additionally, the Swedes accumulated three yellow cards—Gudmundsson in the 53rd minute, Ayari in the 75th, and Bergvall in the 80th—while the Netherlands received none throughout the ninety minutes.
With this result, the Netherlands leads Group F with four points after a draw against Japan and this victory, having a goal difference of +4 and seven goals scored in two matches. Sweden remains in second place with three points, but their goal difference drops to zero after conceding four goals. Japan, with one point from their initial draw, and Tunisia, with none and almost eliminated, round out the table.
The final matchday of the group will take place on June 25 with two simultaneous matches: the Netherlands will face Tunisia at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, while Sweden will need to win against Japan at AT&T Stadium in Arlington to secure their qualification. The Dutch, in a privileged position, could secure advancement to the next round even with a draw, depending on the parallel results.
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