Netherlands crush Sweden 5-1 to claim first World Cup win
The Netherlands secured their first victory in the World Cup by defeating Sweden 5-1 in Group F, with Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scoring twice.
The Netherlands football team picked up their first win of the World Cup on Saturday, thrashing Sweden 5-1 in a Group F match.
Netherlands took control early. In the 5th minute, Brian Brobbey scored from close range after a pass from Cody Gakpo. Brobbey struck again in the 17th minute, heading in a cross from Denzel Dumfries to make it 2-0.
Just before halftime, Sweden had a goal disallowed for offside, with Gustav Lagerbielke heading in from a free kick.
Early in the second half, Netherlands continued to dominate. Gakpo scored in the 47th minute from Dumfries' assist, then added his second in the 54th minute after a pass from Crysencio Summerville, dribbling into the box and slotting into the bottom left corner (4-0).
Sweden pulled one back in the 55th minute through Anthony Elanga, who raced onto Alexander Isak's pass, beat three Dutch defenders, and shot into the top left corner (1-4).
Summerville sealed the win in the 89th minute, racing on a counter-attack and firing low into the bottom left corner for his second goal (5-1).
This was Netherlands' first victory after a 2-2 draw with Japan. Sweden had previously beaten Tunisia 5-1.
The article also mentions upcoming matches: Germany vs Ivory Coast, Ecuador vs Curaçao, and Tunisia vs Japan.
The World Cup features 48 teams split into 12 groups for the first time. The group stage ends June 27, with knockout stages starting June 28. Semifinals are scheduled for July 14-15, the bronze medal match on July 18, and the final on July 19. The previous World Cup in 2022 in Qatar was won by Argentina.
