HOUSTON, June 20 (Xinhua) -- The Netherlands cruised to a 5-1 victory over Sweden, moving to the top of Group F with an impressive attacking performance at the 2026 FIFA World Cup here on Saturday.
With the emphatic victory, the Dutch once again demonstrated their attacking efficiency, reinforcing their status as a team capable of making a deep run in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman praised his team's attacking efficiency and the quality of its transition play.
"If you look further at the goals we scored, that will cause fear among opponents," Koeman said.
"The way those goals came about, in transition with a lot of pace and a lot of quality, we can be incredibly dangerous."
The Netherlands took control in the opening stages of the first half, with Brian Brobbey finding the net from close range in the 5th and 17th minutes to put his side firmly in command.
The Oranje then dropped deeper, allowing Sweden to gain the upper hand. Viktor Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari both had promising chances, but neither was able to find the net.
The Netherlands again took the initiative after the restart, with Cody Gakpo scoring twice within the opening 10 minutes of the second half to extend the lead to 4-0.
Anthony Elanga pulled one back for Sweden in the 59th minute, but Crysencio Summerville restored the Netherlands' four-goal cushion before the final whistle, sealing a 5-1 victory for the Dutch.
Despite the convincing victory, Koeman said there was still room for improvement.
"We did a lot of things well, but there were moments when Sweden changed the way they played and it took us too long to recognize it. It was a good win, but there are still areas where we need to improve," he added.
The win lifted the Netherlands to the top of Group F with four points from two matches, while Sweden remains on three points and will face Japan in its final group-stage match.
Sweden coach Graham Potter said his team would need to learn from the setback.
"We created chances and looked dangerous going forward at times, but defensively we conceded too many goals," Potter said. "At this level, that makes it very difficult to get a result."
"We have to accept the result and learn from it," he added. "Sometimes these matches provide important lessons, and our focus now is on responding well in the next game." ■
