FIFA World Cup 2026: Netherlands thump Sweden in Houston to get World Cup liftoff

Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the rampant Netherlands thrashed Sweden 51 in a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston The big win in front of nearly 69000 put the delighted Dutch on the cusp of the knockout rounds and gave them liftoff after being held by JapanRonald Koemans side top Group F with four points from two games ahead of Sweden on three Japan one and Tunisia none Despite the sobering loss the Swedes had plenty of chances but were denied by good goalkeeping and wasteful finishingThey are still in with a good chance of progressing into the last 32 but face a test in the form of Japan in their final group game We attacked had some opportunities but obviously defensively you cant concede that many and hope to win but well learn a lot from the game Sweden coach Graham Potter told BBC TVSometimes you have to have these experiences I didnt think it was that type of game but again thats the scoreline we have to accept it and learn from it Sunderland striker Brobbey got his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with predatory goals after five and 17 minutesBefore that the 24yearold had scored only once for his country In a game full of Premier League talent Liverpools Gakpo who set Brobbey up for the opener scored twice early in the second halfSubstitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour with a classy finish Substitute Crysencio Summerville who was replaced in the starting lineup by Brobbey had the last word for the fivestar DutchIf you look further at the goals we scored that will cause fear among opponents Koeman said The way those goals came about in transition with a lot of pace and a lot of quality we can be incredibly dangerousLiftoff for DutchTwo crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were among the VIP guests a nod to Houstons place as the home of space flight The Dutch twice pegged back in a lively 22 draw with Japan to start their title bid made the brighter start in front of their orangeclad fans and King WillemAlexanderBrobbey who came in for Summerville despite the winger scoring against Japan started and finished the first goal It was made in the Premier League with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involvedBrobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo before the Anfield attacker crossed in low from the left for his teammate to stab in from close range At the other end the muchvaunted attack of Liverpools Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres of Arsenal were feeding on scraps for SwedenTwelve minutes after his opener Brobbey made it 20 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he toepoked past Kristoffer NordfeldtSweden who thrashed Tunisia 51 in their first game then created several opportunities for Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari to reduce the deficit but they failed to find a way past Verbruggen before halftimeWorld Cup warningKoeman sent on Summerville for Malen at the break and two minutes later it was mission impossible for Sweden Gakpo prodding in from close range after yet another dangerous low cross from DumfriesGakpo scored a lovely fourth on 54 minutes turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner Elanga pulled one back when he raced clear of the Dutch defence and rattled the ball past VerbruggenWest Hams Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America Of course this match was better than the previous one Thats what you want ideally you want to win right from the start said Koeman But if this is a sign of more to come then were heading in the right directionThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever