Netherlands Vs Sweden Report: Dumfries & Summerville Help Oranje Top Group F

Netherlands thrash Sweden as Brobbey shine
  

Oranje hit Sweden for five at the World Cup. Brobbey and Gakpo scored two each in a 5-1 win that puts Netherlands top of Group F and breaks Brazil’s World Cup unbeaten record.

Brobbey, Gakpo and Summerville goals power Netherlands win over Sweden at World Cup...

A double from Brian Brobbey and another from Cody Gakpo powered the Netherlands to a 5-1 rout of Sweden. It’s their first win of the tournament and puts Oranje top of Group F. Sweden missed the chance to open a World Cup with two wins for the first time since hosting in 1958.

Ronald Koeman took a gamble by starting Brobbey over Crysencio Summerville, who scored vs Japan. The call paid off as Brobbey struck twice in the first 17 minutes.

Brobbey opened the scoring after controlling a long clearance and laying it off to Tijjani Reijnders. Reijnders released Cody Gakpo down the left, and the Sunderland forward finished his low cross from six yards.

Sweden nearly hit back straight away when Viktor Gyokeres forced Bart Verbruggen into a sharp save at the near post. But Brobbey made it 2-0 and netted the Netherlands’ 100th World Cup goal by turning in another low cross, this time from Denzel Dumfries on the right, past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.

The first-half hydration break let Sweden reset, and they looked sharper going forward after play resumed. They stretched the Dutch back line, but Yasin Ayari lacked a clinical finish on several chances.

Late in the half Gyokeres dragged a low right-footed shot in from the left, then Gakpo answered with a similar effort at the other end. Both Bart Verbruggen and Kristoffer Nordfeldt were equal to the attempts.

Oranje almost made it 3-0 when Donyell Malen broke free but dragged his shot across goal. The end-to-end action kept up as Ayari fired just over from 18 yards.

Gustaf Lagerbelke thought he’d leveled, but his header was ruled out for offside.

Sweden had just seen an equalizer chalked off when the Dutch struck again to double their lead.

Dumfries cut the ball back into the six-yard box. Brobbey missed it, but Gakpo was there to bundle it in.

Seven minutes later Gakpo had his second. Summerville drove through the middle off the bench and slid him in on the left, then the Liverpool winger blasted a near-post shot past Nordfeldt.

Graham Potter’s side didn’t give up. Ayari tested the keeper from distance before Sweden finally scored. Alexander Isak slipped Anthony Elanga in, and the sub finished calmly past Verbruggen.

Sweden stay alive for the Round of 32 after matching their 5-1 opening win over Tunisia. They could’ve made it tighter, but Verbruggen denied Isak’s curling effort late on. Summerville then made it back-to-back 5-1 scorelines for the Swedes with a 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.

Sweden haven’t kept a clean sheet in 13 games. They’ve also won just once in their last eight World Cup matches vs European opponents.

Not counting shootout losses, the Netherlands are unbeaten in 14 World Cup games since the 2010 final loss. That breaks Brazil’s record of 13 straight from 1958 to 1966.