Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo each scored twice to power the Netherlands to a 5-1 victory over Sweden on Saturday.
After an uninspiring 2-2 draw with Japan in its opening World Cup match, the Dutch came out on the front foot right from kickoff. Brobbey started the attack on the opening goal by laying off a ball to Tijjani Reijnders, who then found Gakpo on the left wing. Gakpo then put a pass across the Sweden penalty box and found Brobbey to make it 1-0 after just five minutes.
Brobbey was making his first World Cup start for the Netherlands in the place of Matchday 1 goalscorer Crysencio Summerville. Twelve minutes after opening the scoring, he secured his brace by losing defender Isak Hien and tapping home a Denzel Dumfries pass.
According to Opta, Brobbey netted the fourth-fastest brace (16:12) to start a World Cup match since 1986 behind Germany‘s Lukas Podolski (11:35, 2006), Brazil‘s Ronaldo Nazário (12:16, 2002) and England‘s Gary Lineker (13:46, 1986).
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The two first-half tallies also saw Netherlands join Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain and England as men’s team with 100 total goals in the World Cup.
World Cup schedule | Group schedule, results | Standings
The Netherlands is the only one in that group to have not won a World Cup.
Two minutes into the second half the Netherlands put the game out of reach. Summerville was subbed in and was brilliant on the ball as he laid a pass off to Dumfries. The new Real Madrid man fired a pass across the Sweden box, nearly missing Brobbey for his hat trick, and connecting with Gakpo.
Gakpo would get his own brace seven minutes later to make it 4-0. Five minutes after that goal, Netherlands goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen had his clean sheet spoiled by Anthony Elanga, who scored three minutes after being substituted into the match.
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Summerville entered the match at halftime and increased the lead to 5-1 in the 89th minute. The goal was his second of the tournament.
The victory moves the Dutch one point ahead of Sweden in the Group F table after two matches. Japan, which is currently in third place with one point, will take on last-place Tunisia later Saturday night.
The Netherlands will look to win the group in their final match of this stage when they meet Tunisia on Thursday in Kansas City. Sweden will play Japan in Dallas with both games kicking off at 7 p.m. ET.
