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Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo scored 2 goals apiece to powerfulness Netherlands to a 5-1 triumph implicit Sweden connected Saturday (June 20, 2026) successful the World Cup to bounce backmost aft a disappointing gully successful its opener and determination atop the Group F standings.
Brobbey's goals came successful the archetypal half, helping the Netherlands get disconnected to a large commencement and rotation to the large triumph aft playing Japan to a 2-2 gully connected Sunday (June 14, 2026).
The triumph gives Netherlands a group-leading 4 points. Sweden has 3 points, with Japan and Tunisia scheduled to play aboriginal connected Saturday (June 20, 2026).
Gakpo, who besides had an assist, extended the pb to 3-0 conscionable aft halftime, scoring successful the 47th infinitesimal disconnected a transverse from Denzel Dumfries. He matched Brobbey erstwhile helium scored connected a right-footed changeable from the near container successful the 54th minute.
Sweden couldn't physique connected its beardown show successful a 5-1 walloping of Tunisia successful its archetypal match. The nonaccomplishment to the Dutch was its biggest World Cup decision since losing 7-1 to Brazil successful 1950.
The Dutch gameplan to play retired wide to unfastened up Sweden and transverse to Brobbey worked perfectly early. He enactment the Netherlands connected apical successful the 5th infinitesimal erstwhile Gakpo crossed into the mediate of the container and Brobbey one-timed it with his close ft earlier tumbling guardant to the grass.
His 2nd extremity came erstwhile helium took a transverse from Dumfries portion sliding and conscionable got his close ft connected the ball, scoring wrong the acold station successful the 17th minute.
Anthony Elanga's left-footed extremity chopped the pb to 4-1 successful the 59th infinitesimal and allowed Sweden to debar the shutout.
Sweden had plentifulness of chances to people earlier that, but Netherlands' goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen was superb successful the archetypal fractional with 4 saves.
Sweden appeared to person chopped the pb to 2-1 connected a header by Gustaf Lagerbielke successful the 44th minute, but helium was ruled offside. Lagerbielke is simply a baron from a noble household successful Sweden. His begetter and gramps are counts.
But helium wasn't the lone royalty successful the stadium Saturday arsenic the Netherlands had 2 precise peculiar guests cheering them connected with King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima watching from a luxury suite.
The assemblage of 68,777 was mostly made up of fans of the Netherlands, galore of whom made their Oranje Fanwalk 2 1/2 miles from Rice University to Houston Stadium connected Saturday morning.
Crysencio Summerville, who assisted connected Gakpo's 2nd goal, tacked connected a extremity for Netherlands successful the 89th infinitesimal and celebrated with NBA prima Steph Curry's “night night” gesture.
Sweden finishes radical play Thursday nighttime against Japan astatine Dallas Stadium, and Netherlands meets Tunisia that nighttime successful Kansas City.
