The Netherlands successfully defeated Sweden 5-1, on Saturday to get World Cup liftoff during the intense Netherlands vs Sweden match after being held by Japan.
Cody Gakpo and Brian Brobbey each scored twice during the fierce Netherlands vs Sweden match in Houston.
Knockout rounds lie ahead for the Dutch team now.
After Netherlands win, Ronald Koeman’s team leads Group F with four points from two matches.
They are now ahead of Sweden with three points, Japan with one and Tunisia with one amid the ongoing FIFA World Cup.
Despite the disappointing loss, the Swedish team did create many opportunities but they were met with exceptional goalkeeping.
They are still said to have a strong chance of progressing to the final 32. However, they must face Japan in their final group match.
Sweden’s coach Graham Potter shared during a BBC interview, “We attacked, had some opportunities but obviously defensively you can’t concede that many and hope to win, but we’ll learn a lot from the game.”
During the heated match, Sunderland striker Brobbey made his first start and granted Koeman two goals at five and 17 minutes.
Earlier, he had only netted once for his national team.
On the other hand, Liverpool’s Gakpo scored twice early in the second half while assisting Brobbey for the opening goal.
Two crew members from the historic Artemis II lunar mission were also present among the VIP guests. This highlighted Houston’s importance as the hub of space exploration.
The Netherlands team were equalised twice in an exciting 2-2 draw against Japan to kickstart their title campaign.
Read more: Japan vs Netherlands World Cup match results in unexpected draw
