Group F: Slick Netherlands dismantle Sweden, Japan rout Tunisia 4-0

An early double from Brian Brobbey, two more in the second half for Cody Gakpo and a late goal from Crysencio Summerville helped the Netherlands cruise to an impressive 5-1 win over Sweden at the World Cup on Saturday. The Dutch delivered the performance coach Ronald Koeman had demanded after conceding near the end of regulation in a disappointing opening 2-2 draw against Japan and underlining the team’s credentials as among the favourites to go far in the tournament. Koeman said he knew this was an important game but the players performance showed they did not feel the pressure after the opening draw. “So there was more pressure to win this match. We knew it was a must-win,” Koeman said. “But I didn’t feel any tension. As a coach, you can feel how people are working after a first match like that and what the players’ input is. Then you know things are on the right track.” Brobbey — chosen ahead of record scorer Memphis Depay — repaid Koeman’s faith with two goals in the opening 17 minutes to give the Dutch the early initiative and another two from Cody Gakpo in a seven-minute spell after the break put the match out of reach. His first came when he flicked the ball to Tijjani Reijnders who found Gakpo racing down the left flank to set up the Sunderland striker for a tap-in. Brobbey struck again when Denzel Dumfries swung in a perfectly weighted cross that he simply directed past Sweden goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt with an outstretched leg. SLOPPY SWEDEN After being criticised for how he used his bench against Japan, Koeman got it right against Sweden also with his injection of Summerville who scored one and had a hand in two others after entering the match for the second half. The Swedes — full of optimism after crushing Tunisia 5-1 in their opening match — gave the ball away too easily and could not contain the Dutch attack. Graham Potter’s side played with more urgency following the first hydration break but it was never good enough against a ruthless Dutch side who converted their chances. Potter pledged his team would learn from the harsh result, acknowledging his side got off to a poor start from which they couldn’t fight back despite creating opportunities once they were behind. “They hurt us in the wide areas,” Potter said. “The first goal was from a long ball we didn’t deal with very well. We got off to not a great start in the first period. “It was one of those things we will learn a lot from. Sometimes you have to have these experiences. I didn’t think it was that kind of game, but we have to learn from it.” Viktor Gyokeres presented the main danger for Sweden early on with a free kick and curling effort that tested Dutch goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. Yasin Ayari had a chance to get Sweden back into the game but could not control the ball with his chest with only the goalkeeper to beat. Substitute Anthony Elanga pulled one back in the 59th minute of a free-flowing game but it proved only a consolation for Sweden rather than sparking a fightback, and the Dutch rout was complete when Summerville slalomed his way to the edge of the box and finished neatly in the final minute. Japan rout Tunisia 4-0 in World Cup’s 1,000th match Japan delivered a commanding 4-0 win over Tunisia in the World Cup’s 1,000th match on Saturday to move to the brink of the knockout stages, while the North Africans were eliminated after a second successive defeat in Group F. Daichi Kamada opened the scoring after four minutes, bundling home Keito Nakamura’s low cross from close range, before Ayase Ueda doubled Japan’s lead in the 30th minute with a fierce low drive into the far corner. Japan stayed in control after the break and Ueda set up Junya Ito for their third with a lofted pass before heading in his second of the night from a deep cross, making Japan the first Asian side to score four goals in a World Cup match. Japan join the Netherlands on four points, with Tunisia, playing their first game under new coach Herve Renard after a 5-1 loss to Sweden, becoming the tournament’s third eliminated side, joining Haiti and Turkey.