The Netherlands went halfway in the World Cup knockout rounds with a stylish 5-1 demolition of Sweden on Saturday as Germany took on Côte d’Ivoire, with the winner guaranteed a place in the last 32.
Sweden, themselves 5-1 winners against Tunisia in their opening Group F match, went into Saturday’s showdown with the Dutch in Houston knowing that a victory would guarantee their passage out of the group stage.
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But Graham Potter’s side were torn apart by a rampant Netherlands team, who roared into a 2-0 lead after just 17 minutes thanks to a brace from Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey.
Liverpool’s Cody Gakpo scored twice in the first nine minutes of the second half to put the Dutch 4-0 up, ensuring that Sweden’s lone strike from Anthony Elanga was only ever going to be a consolation goal.
Crysencio Summerville completed the Dutch rout with a fifth goal on 89 minutes.
The win leaves the Netherlands, who drew 2-2 with Japan in their opening game, on four points with a healthy plus four goal difference, which is almost certainly likely to be enough to secure a place in the last 32 of the expanded 48-team tournament.
The last time Sweden conceded five goals in a World Cup match was the 1958 final against Brazil when they lost 5-2.
Germany or Côte d’Ivoire can guarantee their place in the knockout rounds with a victory in their Group E meeting in Toronto.
Germany thrashed debutants Curacao 7-1 in their opener and would be confirmed as group winners if they defeat Côte d’Ivoire and Ecuador fail to beat Curacao in Kansas City.
Progressing to the knockout round would be a relief for the Germans, who astonishingly have failed to reach that stage since they won their fourth World Cup in Brazil in 2014.
Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann said his team had to be prepared for Côte d’Ivoire’s athleticism.
“Their speed is one of their biggest strengths, and that’s what I think they do best,” he told reporters, highlighting the French-born Ivorian winger Nicolas Pepe.
“During the last game, he was everywhere,” Nagelsmann said of Pepe.
1,000th Game
History will be made in another of Saturday’s games as Japan face Tunisia in Monterrey, Mexico, for the 1,000th game at a World Cup.
Hajime Moriyasu warned his Japan side they will need to match the intensity of a Tunisia team fired up by the introduction of coach Herve Renard after Sabri Lamouchi became the first coach in World Cup history to be sacked after one game.
On Friday, the United States marched into the knockout round with a 2-0 victory over Australia in Seattle.
A day of raucous celebrations for the co-hosts got even better when Paraguay’s 1-0 win against Turkey confirmed that the US would clinch top spot in Group D, ensuring a theoretically easier draw in the last 32.
After an unconvincing build-up to the World Cup, the Americans have made a dream start to the tournament with Friday’s victory following a stylish 4-1 demolition of Paraguay in their opener.
The US form has encouraged heady talk of whether the Americans could mount a serious challenge for the title.
“Obviously we take it one game at a time,” defender Chris Richards said.
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