Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo scored two goals apiece as the Netherlands cruised past Sweden 5-1 to all but mathematically guarantee a place in the last 32 of the World Cup.
Brobbey was a surprise inclusion in their line-up at the expense of Crysencio Summerville who impressed and scored in the 2-2 draw with Japan, but the Sunderland forward took little time in repaying the faith of manager Ronald Koeman.
In the fifth minute the Netherlands went from one end of the pitch in just seven touches – Brobbey took down a long ball from goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, played the ball to Gakpo on the left wing, and then charged into the penalty area to convert the winger’s low cross.
Brobbey netted his second 12 minutes later when he stabbed home from Denzel Dumfries’ low cross after getting goalside of Sweden defender Isak Hien.
Sweden thought they had halved the deficit in first-half stoppage time when Gustaf Lagerbielke nodded into an empty net after beating Verbruggen to a free-kick, but the offside flag went up.
Sweden’s mini-fightback was quashed less than two minutes into the second half when Gakpo tapped in at the back post from another dangerous Dumfries delivery across the face of goal.
Gakpo scored his second in the 54th minute when Summerville – brought on at half-time – drove forward and set the Liverpool man up to drill a low shot past Kristoffer Nordfeldt in the Sweden goal.
That strike took the total number of goals scored at this World Cup to 100 in 33 games, the fastest a century has been reached since the 1958 edition (32 or 33 games as both were played simultaneously).
Graham Potter’s Sweden pulled a goal back five minutes later when substitute Anthony Elanga ran on to a through ball and lifted his shot past Verbruggen.
Summerville capped an impressive second-half cameo with a late run and strike into the bottom corner.
The Netherlands go top of Group F with four points, while Sweden will likely need a result against Tunisia in their final group game to secure progression to the knockout stage.
