Brobbey, Gakpo net braces as Netherlands rout Sweden

Netherlands rout – Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored twice as the Netherlands thrashed Sweden 5-1 on Saturday, rebounding from a disappointing draw in its opener and taking top spot in Group F with four points.

Houston was loud from the first minute, and the Netherlands answered quickly. In the fifth minute, Cody Gakpo fed a cross into the middle of the box, Brian Brobbey met it with a right-foot one-timer, and the ball hit the turf with the kind of decisiveness that sets the tone early.

They didn’t let up. Brobbey and Gakpo combined for four goals, and the Netherlands turned a strong start into a 5-1 rout of Sweden on Saturday in the World Cup.

The result mattered immediately for Group F. The Netherlands moved atop the standings with four points after bouncing back from a disappointing draw in its opener and following it with a response after playing Japan to a 2-2 draw Sunday. Sweden has three points heading into the next round, with Japan and Tunisia scheduled to play later Saturday.

Gakpo doubled the advantage just after halftime. In the 47th minute. he scored from a right-footed shot from the left box after a cross from Denzel Dumfries made its way into space. Six minutes later, Gakpo matched Brobbey with his own second when he fired another right-footed effort from the left box.

Brobbey’s second goal arrived in the 17th minute. He took a cross from Dumfries while sliding and, just with his right foot, got enough on the ball to steer it inside the far post.

Sweden had built momentum in the tournament too—just not in this match. Sweden had previously shown promise with a 5-1 walloping of Tunisia in its first match. but the Netherlands delivered a reply that Sweden couldn’t absorb. The 5-1 loss is Sweden’s biggest World Cup defeat since losing 7-1 to Brazil in 1950.

Anthony Elanga gave Sweden a moment of relief in the 59th minute, cutting the lead to 4-1 with a left-footed goal. That strike stopped the shutout, but it didn’t slow the Netherlands’ momentum.

There were chances for Sweden before Elanga’s goal, and Bart Verbruggen kept the match from getting closer. The Netherlands goalkeeper was brilliant in the first half, making four saves as Sweden pushed for a foothold.

Sweden also had a scare at the other end when it appeared to cut the deficit again. In the 44th minute, Gustaf Lagerbielke scored on a header to make it 2-1, but he was ruled offside.

Lagerbielke’s background carried its own quiet storyline in the stadium. The match notes that Lagerbielke is a baron from a noble family in Sweden, and that his father and grandfather are counts. Still, on the night, the ruling meant the Netherlands stayed in control.

As the game stretched into its final stretch, Crysencio Summerville added a fifth for the Netherlands in the 89th minute after being involved in the build-up that included an assist on Gakpo’s second goal. Summerville celebrated with NBA star Steph Curry’s “night night” gesture.

The setting had its own weight too. King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima were watching from a luxury suite, turning the match into a scene with royal attention as well as international football theatre.

The crowd of 68,777 was largely made up of Dutch supporters, many of whom made their Oranje Fanwalk 2 1/2 miles from Rice University to Houston Stadium on Saturday morning.

For Sweden, the next task is a familiar one: finish the group. Sweden plays Thursday night against Japan at Dallas Stadium. The Netherlands meets Tunisia that night in Kansas City, with the standings already shaped by this statement win.

Netherlands Sweden World Cup Brian Brobbey Cody Gakpo Denzel Dumfries Bart Verbruggen Anthony Elanga Gustaf Lagerbielke Crysencio Summerville Group F