The Netherlands' defense is considered one of the strongest at the 2026 World Cup , with defenders currently playing in five of Europe's top leagues, such as captain Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool), Denzel Dumfries - Real Madrid's new signing, Micky van de Ven (Tottenham), and Jan Paul van Hecke, the center-back who recently joined Tottenham for $68 million.
However, the strength of the "Orange Tornado" lies not only in its defense. Compared to the opening match, a 2-2 draw against Japan, coach Ronald Koeman made only one adjustment: bringing Brian Brobbey in as a striker instead of Crysencio Summerville, and returning Donyell Malen to his preferred right wing. This change quickly yielded results.
In the 5th minute, from a long pass by goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen, Brobbey set up Tijjani Reijnders, who then passed the ball to Cody Gakpo on the left wing. The Liverpool striker controlled the ball for a few touches before delivering a perfect cross for Brobbey to tap it into the net against Sweden. At 4 minutes and 58 seconds, this was the Netherlands' fourth earliest goal in World Cup history and their fastest since Robin van Persie scored against Brazil in the 2014 World Cup after just 2 minutes and 32 seconds.
Twelve minutes later, the Netherlands stunned their opponents again with an almost identical attack, this time originating from the right wing. From Malen's pass, Dumfries surged forward and crossed the ball for Brobbey to finish diagonally, completing his brace in just 17 minutes. This was the fourth fastest brace in World Cup history (from the start of the match), after Lukas Podolski in 2006 (11 minutes 35 seconds), Ronaldo Nazario in 2002 (12 minutes 16 seconds) and Gary Lineker in 1986 (13 minutes 46 seconds).
Brobbey, the striker currently playing for Sunderland, only scored seven goals in 31 Premier League matches in the 2025-2026 season. But in his debut on the biggest stage in world football, the striker delivered an explosive performance. His brace against Sweden also helped the Netherlands reach 100 goals in 57 World Cup matches, becoming the eighth team in history to achieve this feat, after Brazil, Germany, Argentina, France, Italy, Spain, and England.
After a dream start, the Netherlands deliberately slowed down the pace. This allowed Sweden to gradually regain control of the game and create several opportunities thanks to the dynamism of Viktor Gyokeres. The Arsenal striker had three dangerous shots in the latter half of the first half but failed to score. Sweden did manage to put the ball into the Netherlands' net once from a header by center-back Gustaf Lagerbielke, but the goal was disallowed for offside.
The scenario at the beginning of the second half was similar to the first 45 minutes. The Netherlands continued to explode with sharp attacks from the flanks. In the 47th minute, Dumfries crossed from the right wing for Gakpo to tap the ball into the empty net, increasing the score to 3-0. Just seven minutes later, from a misplaced pass by Alexander Isak, the Netherlands launched a lightning-fast counter-attack. The ball reached Gakpo's feet, and the striker cut from the left wing into the center before unleashing his signature shot into the near corner, completing his double. Thanks to this, Gakpo equaled Van Persie's record as the Dutch player with the most goals in the World Cup group stage (5).
With nothing left to lose, Sweden rekindled hope in the 59th minute. From a through ball by Isak, Anthony Elanga sprinted past Van Dijk, entered the penalty area, and finished past Verbruggen, reducing the score to 1-4. A few minutes later, the former Man Utd player further thrilled the NRG Stadium crowd with a backheel nutmeg on the right wing. However, these were just rare flashes of brilliance from the Nordic side in a match where they were completely outplayed.
As the match drew to a close, the Netherlands capped off a convincing performance with their fifth goal. In the 89th minute, Summerville feigned a move that caught Swedish captain Victor Lindelof off balance before unleashing a diagonal shot from outside the penalty area, sealing a 5-1 victory.
After scoring in the draw against Japan, Summerville continued to impress with another classy goal. The 24-year-old striker, who recently helped West Ham get relegated from the Premier League, is now on Manchester United's radar. His outstanding performance at the 2026 World Cup could make the Old Trafford club willing to pay a higher price if they want to acquire him in this transfer window.
The resounding victory against Sweden not only brought the Netherlands closer to securing a place in the knockout round, but also strongly affirmed their ambition to conquer the 2026 World Cup. With a thriving attack and efficient transitions, the "Orange Tornado" is showing that they are one of the most formidable contenders for the championship.
Source: https://baohatinh.vn/ha-lan-de-bep-thuy-dien-o-world-cup-2026-post312609.html
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