June 21 (Reuters) - One of the biggest holidays in the Swedish calendar got off to a great start on Friday as the nation celebrated Midsummer's Eve, but their team's 5-1 World Cup thrashing by the Netherlands left the entire country with a cruel soccer hangover.
With the game kicking off at 1900 local time in Stockholm on Saturday, around 10,000 fans had gathered to watch at the city's Olympic Stadium, but Brian Brobbey's opening goal after five minutes burst the Swedish bubble, and the party atmosphere quickly ebbed away.
"We are disappointed. It's so bad - no will, no passion, nothing, it's like a regular game," Sweden fan Robin Mert told broadcaster TV4.
Things got a lot worse as the Dutch rattled in five goals, Brobbey and Cody Gakpo both scoring twice. The only silver lining for the Swedes, who beat Tunisia by the same scoreline in their opener, came in the form of a second-half goal from substitute Anthony Elanga.
"There are sour feelings," striker Viktor Gyokeres told reporters. "Everyone has to be better at everything."
Ronald Koeman's side identified a weakness at the heart of the Swedish defence, repeatedly getting to the byline and driving the ball across the face of goal between the backline and the goalkeeper, and Brobbey and Gakpo made the most of that supply to net the first three goals.
"The plan was (to play) how we started, but then, as they say, you get a smack in the face and you have to change your plan. We adjusted things a little bit in that first (hydration) break and that helped us," Sweden coach Graham Potter told reporters.
The Swedes went from being top of Group F to third on three points, one behind leaders Japan, who they face next, and the Dutch, and qualification for the knockout rounds remains within reach.
"When you get a good result everything goes sky-high and great, and when you don't get a good result, everything goes quite negative quickly, it's just part of what it is," Potter said.
"Now we have to make sure that we get the balance right, and that we also learn from what happened tonight and face the next game, which is Japan."
Despite their midsummer disappointment, the fans in Stockholm still believe that their team can deliver.
"Now we're go for Japan - anything can happen, and we have a lot of faith in Potter and the guys," fan Caroline Strand told TV4.
(Reporting by Philip O'Connor)
