Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey both scored twice as the feisty Netherlands beat Sweden 5-1 in a World Cup warning on Saturday in Houston.
The big win in front of nearly 69,000 put the jubilant Dutch at the top of the knockout rounds and gave them a boost after being held by Japan.
Ronald Koeman’s side top Group F with four points from two matches, 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 sloppy finishing.
They still have a good chance of progressing to 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 can’t concede that many and hope to win, but we will learn a lot from the game,” Sweden coach Graham Potter said. BBC TV.
“Sometimes you have to have these experiences, I didn’t think it was that type of game, but again, that’s the bottom line, we have to accept it and learn from it.”
Sunderland striker Brobbey made his first start of the tournament and repaid Koeman with a goal after five and 17 minutes.
Before then, the 24-year-old had only scored once for his country.
In a game full of Premier League talent, Liverpool’s Gakpo – who set up Brobbey for the opener – scored twice early in the second half.
Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden just before the hour mark with an elegant finish.
Substitute Crysencio Summerville, who was replaced in the starting line-up by Brobbey, had the final say for the five-star Dutchman.
“If you look at the goals we scored, it will strike fear into the opposition,” Koeman said.
“The way those goals came about, in transition with a lot of pace and a lot of quality, we can be incredibly dangerous.”
Lift for the Dutch
Two crew members from the historic Artemis II moon mission were among the VIP guests, a nod to Houston’s place as the home of space flight.
The Dutch, twice behind in a spirited 2-2 draw with Japan to start their title bid, started brighter in front of their orange-clad fans and King Willem-Alexander.
Brobbey, who came on for Summerville despite the winger’s goal against Japan, started and finished the first goal.
It was done in the Premier League, with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, midfielder Tijjani Reijnders and Gakpo all involved.
Brobbey exchanged passes with Gakpo before the Anfield striker crossed low from the left for his team-mate to tap in from close range.
At the other end, the much-vaunted attack of Liverpool’s Alexander Isak and Arsenal’s Viktor Gyokeres fed off scraps for Sweden.
Twelve minutes after his opener, Brobbey made it 2-0 when a deflected Denzel Dumfries cross from the right fell perfectly into his path and he pointed past Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Sweden, who beat Tunisia 5-1 in their first match, then created several opportunities for Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari to reduce the deficit, but they failed to find a way past Verbruggen before the break.
WC warning
Koeman sent Summerville on for Malen on the stroke of half-time and two minutes later it was impossible for Sweden, Gakpo slotting in from close range after another dangerous low cross from Dumfries.
Gakpo scored a lovely fourth after 54 minutes, turning inside his defender before firing low into the bottom corner.
Elanga pulled one back when he ran clear of the Dutch defense and rattled the ball past Verbruggen.
West Ham’s Summerville made it five in the dying minutes with his second goal in North America.
“Obviously this game was better than the last one. That’s what you want, ideally you want to win right from the start,” Koeman said.
“But if this is a sign of more to come, then it was headed in the right direction.”
