The Netherlands’ convincing victory at the World Cup on Saturday has given coach Ronald Koeman peace of mind as a sharp-looking attack cut Sweden apart and catapulted the Netherlands closer to the next round.
There was impressive precision in the side’s forward play as Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scored twice and substitute Crysencio Summerville added a fifth in a thrilling 5-1 win.
“With that first goal you saw everything you wanted to see,” Koeman said of Gakpo’s precise cross and Brobbey’s finish, which gave the Netherlands a quick lead in the fifth minute.
«It was a fantastic ball from Cody and it gave us a fantastic start. That gives us confidence.»
The Dutch had let the lead slip twice in their opening Group F match against Japan in Dallas last weekend, so the three points and a huge boost to their goal difference were welcome.
«Yes, of course we needed this. When you start a tournament, you want to start well. It gives you peace of mind,» Koeman said at the post-match press conference.
«There was also a bit more pressure on us to win. Otherwise everything would come down to the last group match, and you don’t want that.»
“We did a lot of things well, but despite the 5-1 win you can still see that at certain moments, when the opponent changed the way they played, it took too long to recognize it.
«It was a nice win, but enough things happened that make you say: ‘something has to be better’. Otherwise you’ve played a full match. This one came very close to that,» he added.
One of the focuses was Donyell Malen on the right flank, playing wide in a positional switch, with Brobbey preferred as the main attacker.
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Malen did not always make the right defensive decisions, according to Koeman, and was sent off at half-time for Summerville, who did not start due to a minor hamstring problem.
«I think Summerville is stronger defensively. We talk a lot with the players about recognizing tactical changes on the pitch more quickly. I understand that the substitution is difficult for Donyell, but this is top football. Team performance is what matters.»
“Before the match I sat down with him and explained why he would play on the right and that he would have the freedom to move inside because he is not a natural right winger.
«Donyell is certainly not being made a scapegoat; he could even start as a striker in the next match. Brobbey had some small hamstring problems,» Koeman added.
Published on June 21, 2026
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