HOUSTON, June 20 (Reuters) - Netherlands coach Ronald Koeman was derided for ineffective substitutions as the Dutch laboured through their opening World Cup assignment last weekend but inspired choices on Saturday laid the foundation for an impressive 5-1 thumping of Sweden.
It is the nature of the football beast that a manager can go from a torrent of criticism to a heap of praise in the space of 90 minutes and Koeman will again be hailed as a genius after picking Brian Brobbey to lead his attack.
Koeman did admit after the 2-2 draw with Japan in Dallas last Sunday, at the start of their Group F campaign, that the changes he made in the game did not produce the desired effect.
But there can be no questioning his decision to have the 24-year-old Brobbey lead the attack in their second outing at the tournament in Canada, Mexico and the United States.
It proved an inspired selection, with Brobbey scoring twice in the opening 17 minutes and laying the foundation for an impressive victory by the Netherlands, who now top the group.
Brobbey has been something of a fringe figure in the squad, overlooked in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup and only brought back into the squad after a year’s absence in March.
But he is now well placed to take over from Memphis Depay as the lead attacker for the Dutch after a season at Sunderland in the Premier League lifted his game to another level.
“I’ve become a better and more complete striker,” he told reporters at the Dutch training camp earlier this month.
“Not just someone who battles with defenders, but I’ve improved at making runs in from behind, finding space and dropping deeper,” Brobbey said.
The service from Cody Gakpo on the left of the Netherlands attack, overlapping fullback Denzel Dumfries on the right and newcomer Crysencio Summerville will create chances for whoever leads the line for the Dutch at the World Cup.
Brobbey proved he can finish in Saturday’s clash against the Swedes and has the sharpness that Depay is missing after a lengthy injury layoff.
The Netherlands have known for a while that time is running out to find an heir to Depay, their record scorer, and Brobbey certainly put his hand up high on Saturday.
(Writing by Mark Gleeson in Atlanta; Editing by Ken Ferris)
