The Netherlands vs Sweden In Houston
The Netherlands reminded me of some classical football when the Orange Army graced the Houston pitch last night, against a confident-looking Sweden, in Group F.
Terrific Classical Football
The setup was fantastic. The forward line moving in complete unison, a perfect cross from the wingers to the centre forward perfectly positioned to tap it in. It was all so classical, so delectable. This is exactly what transpired in 3 of the 5 goals scored by the Netherlands last night.
Brian Brobbey Does A Double
Cody Gapko, on the left flank, received a brilliant pass from Tijjani Reijnders, who took it deep into the Swedish box and then centred so perfectly for a waiting Brian Brobbey to tap it home. The second was an identical move, but this time from the right flank, with Dumfries firing in a perfect centre for Brian Brobbey to yet again tap it in.
The Swedes Respond With Great Intent, But Fail To Score
The Swedes were shaken in the first 20 minutes of the game. The Hydration break helped them regroup as Graham Potter fired instructions to his team. The break helped, and Sweden dominated play. Gyokeres and Yasin Ayari fired shots but were saved by an alert Verbruggen. An offside denied the Swedes a goal, too.
Dumfries-Gakpo combine Floors Sweden
The second half, however, began identically to the first half. It was Dumfries again, who fired a brilliant centre for the waiting Cody Gapko to score from point-blank range. It has to be said that Summerville had done exceedingly well to get the ball to Dumfries. The Swedes had suffered a third jolt, which took the spring away from their stride.
Gakpo Gets A Brace Too, While Elanga Powers One For Sweden
Gakpo, the Liverpool striker, got one more with a perfect finish to make it 4-0. The writing was on the wall, but Anthony Elanga, who came in as a substitute, hit one thunderbolt into the Dutch net to get one back. Elanga, with more time on the pitch this season than Alexander Isak, should have started rather than being on the bench.
Summerville Sinks the Swedish Ship With A Rocket of his own
Summerville, who came in for Malan, nailed one with great power and precision to make it 5-1 for the Dutch in the 89th minute to completely shut the door on the Swedes.
An Emphatic Statement From The Dutch & A Reality Check For Sweden
It was an emphatic statement from the Netherlands as a focused Ronald Koeman looked on. The Swedes, after their terrific victory against Tunisia, were decimated. A stronger opposition did not allow them to play as they wanted. It was indeed a reality check for Sweden.
The Dutch Have Some Insane Depth
A great win for the Dutch. They are looking good, and with the quality and depth they have, it will be difficult to push them away. A word for Frenkie de Jong, who played brilliantly in the midfield and virtually controlled the game.
Tunisia Eliminated
In another Group F encounter, the last match of the Day, the Japanese hardly broke a sweat to push Tunisia out of the tournament.
Four Stunning Goals From Japan
With 4 stunning, high-quality goals, the Samurai dismantled an already broken Tunisian side. A brace from Ueda and a goal each from Kamada and Ito, Japan were easy winners.
Disappointed Tunisia
I wanted to see some grit and resolve from the Tunisians, but that never arrived. The players looked down and out and were just unable to bring their A-game to the pitch.
The Eagles of Carthage Will Fly Away Soon
It was disappointing to see the Eagles of Carthage eliminated from the Tournament. The team needs introspection and will have to come back strong for their supporters back home.
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