Brobbey, Gakpo double delight as slick Netherlands dismantle Sweden

The Netherlands delivered a commanding performance at the World Cup, crushing Sweden 5-1 with a dominant display that underlined their status as tournament favorites. Brian Brobbey set the tone with two early goals, followed by a second-half brace from Cody Gakpo and a late strike from Crysencio Summerville.

Coach Ronald Koeman expressed satisfaction with his team's ability to perform under pressure, highlighting their focus despite the necessity of a win after a disappointing opening draw. "We knew it was a must-win," Koeman stated, adding that he sensed no tension among the players, indicating they were on the right track.

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So there was more pressure to win this match. We knew it was a must-win. But I didn’t feel any tension. As a coach, you can feel how people are working after a first match like that and what the players’ input is. Then you know things are on the right track.

Sweden, who had entered the match with optimism after a resounding opening win, struggled to contain the Dutch attack. Coach Graham Potter lamented his team's sloppy play and poor start, acknowledging that they were outmatched. "They hurt us in the wide areas," Potter said, noting that his team would learn from the harsh lesson.

Despite creating some opportunities, Sweden could not recover from the early onslaught. Viktor Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari had early chances, and substitute Anthony Elanga eventually pulled one back in the 59th minute, but it was not enough to trouble the ruthless Dutch side.

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They hurt us in the wide areas. The first goal was from a long ball we didn’t deal with very well. We got off to not a great start in the first period. It was one of those things we will learn a lot from. Sometimes you have to have these experiences. I didn’t think it was that kind of game, but we have to learn from it.