Key events<\/p>\n
43 min: The Dutch trying to see out the half, and it\u2019s De Jong who is the man in possession, making the angles in midfield, and recycling the ball. Malen sends away Dumfries, and Brobbey surges to the ball, collected with some relief by Nordfeldt.<\/p>\n
Share<\/a><\/p>\n 41 min: Sweden<\/a> have had to weather a recent storm, but come back fighting. Ayari whistles a shot wide, and Verbruggen asks his defenders why nobody had run out to deal with the attack.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 40 min: Van Hecke sets up De Jong, less a quarterback today than a half-back, and this time it\u2019s Dumfries who is set up. De Jong then wins the ball and almost sends away Malen, who spins his shot wide. De Jong has been excellent. Proper Dutch master stuff.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 38 min: Van der Ven makes an overlap down the left to set up a spell of possession, the ball back with De Jong, who angles the ball to Gakpo, who can\u2019t find the venom to beat Nordfeldt.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 37 min: Isak\u2019s movement has been good, pulling defenders away from Gyokeres, and this time the Liverpool man controls the ball, and while falling sets away his partner, who forces a save from Verbruggen. Better once more. A goal before half-time and we have a serious contest ahead.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 35 min: Feels a while since one of those fluent Dutch attacks. Van Dijk rests on the ball, the current objective being to take the sting from Sweden<\/a>, and then De Jong springs into life, and it takes a Gudmondsson tackle to rob Malen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 33 min: Isak and Gyokeres link up well, that\u2019s better, and Gyokeres cannot slip past Van Hecke. The threat continues from the Swedes.<\/p>\n Alexander Isak is closely marked by Liverpool teammate Virgil van Dijk. Photograph: Pedro Nunes\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.41 EDT<\/p>\n 32 min: Alex Muffett gets in touch: \u201cSweden may aspire to a more progressive style but so far they\u2019ve been playing like Dungen.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 31 min: Nygren mounts the latest attack, though the ball is again poor, and then Ayari shakes his head when his touch lets him down again. Sweden<\/a> have improved. They had to improve.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 29 min: The Potter plan is to change to back four, with Gudmundsson into the four. It almost pays off, as Gyokeres escapes down the flank following Isak\u2019s ball. Ayari is free, the ball there to be hit, and he decides to chest it down and loses control. That\u2019s the best chance so far.<\/p>\n Yasin Ayari gets the chance all wrong but Sweden are improving. Photograph: Pedro Nunes\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.34 EDT<\/p>\n 27 min: A Swedish attack sees Nygren get to the byline and have the ball cleared and then Ayari having his shot deflected off for a corner. Karlstrom swings at the loose ball but only succeeds in smashing into Lindelof\u2019s chops. Ouch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 25 min: James Humphries goes *there*: \u201cOne more for the Dutch centre-forward and the scorers will be Brobbey, Brobbey, Brobbey; nothing against Sweden<\/a>, but I dearly want this to happen because apparently I\u2019m still a child.\u201d<\/p>\n We\u2019re all thinking it, well, those of us of a certain age.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 24 min: Plenty of passion from Potter, which is intercut with scenes of miserable Swedish fans. Their team has been living out a nightmare.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 23 min: Here come the boos\u2026.and we know what that means: the hydration break. It\u2019s a big one for Graham Potter, who probably fancies a shot of vodka after that first quarter (apologies to the traditionalists).<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 22 min: Lagerbielke, the Sweden<\/a> defender smashes into Brobbey. At present, that seems the best available answer to the Sunderland marauder.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 20 min: Kev gets in touch: \u201cThis World Cup game as a future pub quiz question: Netherlands<\/a> (9 Premier League players) vs Sweden (3 Premier League players, British manager). British ref, British official, British VAR. No wonder Micah Richards is excited.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 18 min: The Dutch in dreamland, the Swedes all over the place, being pulled in so many directions. That was the 100th ever Netherlands<\/a> goal at a World Cup finals. The first was scored in 1934 by the legendary Kick Smit.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.20 EDT<\/p>\n Goal! Netherlands 2-0 Sweden (Brobbey, 17)<\/p>\n Malen and Dumfries link again, and the ball comes to Brobbey, who cannot miss.<\/p>\n Brian Brobbey makes it 2-0 in a blistering start for the Netherlands. Photograph: Molly Darlington\/Getty Images Photograph: Annegret Hilse\/Reuters Photograph: Molly Darlington\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.21 EDT<\/p>\n 16 min: The match ball has lost its air, and is replaced. There\u2019s been talk it swerves away from keepers. There\u2019s been some spectacular goals so far.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 15 min: Sweden\u2019s strikers, beyond that Gyokeres snap effort, have seen very little of the ball. Reijnders has been very busy in making several busts into the Sweden<\/a> box.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.15 EDT<\/p>\n 13 min: Graham Potter, in his suit, pacing around like a best man who hasn\u2019t written a speech. His team have been caught cold by the verve and energy of their opponents.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 12 min: Sweden<\/a> need an answer to Dumfries and Malen, who are causing all kinds of problems. Dumfries aims a ball at Gakpo that would surely have resulted in a goal had it not been for a last-ditch challenge.<\/p>\n Donyell Malen has been superb so far in this match. Photograph: Eric Gay\/APShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.17 EDT<\/p>\n 11 min: Another high press, and Brobbey chases the ball down. There\u2019s a shot of the posh seats, and this time the celebs are recognisable \u2013 Dutch royalty, Arsene Wenger and, yes, Gianni Infantino.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 10 min: Such a bright start from the Dutch, with their midfielders bursting on, this time it\u2019s Gravenberch, with De Jong pulling the strings from deep.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 8 min: The corner routine, as rehearsed in pre-match, comes to naught, though the offside flag for Isak is, by the looks of it, a wrong call.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 7 min: That\u2019s a piece of selection gold from Koeman, Brobbey coming through, Reijnders\u2019 ball to Gakpo was excellent. Sweden<\/a> try to hit back quickly, Gyokeres forcing a save from Verburggen.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>Goal! Netherlands 1-0 Sweden (Brobbey, 6)<\/p>\n That was rapid attacking, Brobbey flick the ball on, and after Gakpo passes, he slides in to score.<\/p>\n Brian Brobbey scores for Netherlands! Photograph: Pedro Nunes\/Reuters Photograph: Annegret Hilse\/Reuters Photograph: Molly Darlington\/Getty ImagesShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.11 EDT<\/p>\n 5 min: Dumfries and Malen link when it seemed the new Real Madrid man was set to launch a long throw. There\u2019s a zip to the Dutch.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 4 min: Graham Potter is very smartly dressed it, must be said. Meanwhile, Hien the Swedish defender, chases down Gravenberch, breaking from deep. The Dutch are full of intent.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 3 min: Sweden<\/a> pushed back to their goalkeeper, the Dutch employing that high press and the offside, as the ball is flicked on to Gyokeres.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n 2 min: Brobbey is the target for a Dumfries ball, Reijnders chases the loose ball, and Sweden<\/a> have to hurry it clear.<\/p>\n Share<\/a>The countdown is over…..<\/p>\n 1 min: As northern Europe comes to Texas, and the Dutch go for touch, once Reijnders takes the kick-off.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Dutch training jackets \u2013 surely not necessary in Houston heat \u2013 resemble some kind of Glastonbury\/Megadog merch. The roof is on, and so, hopefully, is the air con.<\/p>\n A genuine image from the queue of Dreamscape 6. Photograph: Annegret Hilse\/ReutersShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a013.07 EDT<\/p>\n Here\u2019s Shakira and Burna Boy, and here come the teams. Does Shakira hold the record for most official World Cup<\/a> songs? The anthems follow in short order. Jan Paul van Hecke\u2019s shiner has still not gone down. Graham Potter *is* singing the Swedish national anthem.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n John Welsh also gets in touch: \u201cI\u2019m really happy that \u2018Glow-up\u2019 Graham Potter and his cowboy hat are having a moment. The Sweden<\/a> job seems to really suit his temperament and I think there\u2019s a good coach inside Potter that has not had the circumstances that allowed him to show it at Chelsea or West Ham. Maybe this is the start of a nomadic overseas career for Potter, \u00e0 la Roy Hodgson, that ultimately ends in a return to England where his coaching style finally gets the respect it deserves.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Charles Antaki gets in touch: \u201cFocus as a prog rock group? Not sure. Certainly they produced stuff you couldn\u2019t dance to \u2013 the primary criterion of progressive rock \u2013 and that you couldn\u2019t play with three chords on your perennially out of tune acoustic guitar (at least, I couldn\u2019t). But they had a fun hit with a tune you could remember<\/a>, and crucially, didn\u2019t deliver pretentiousness on the scale required for the ambitious sixth-former. King Crimson? \u2013 now you\u2019re talking.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Some footage from Houston of the Swedish team practising corners; set pieces will be important in this game, it would be expected.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The BBC, for whom Mark Chapman is wearing a most fetching shirt, are running a feature on Graham Potter, who spoke to Jacob Steinberg ahead of the tournament.<\/p>\n double quotation mark\u201cYou have to deal with the failure,\u201d Potter says. \u201cBut I think you become a better person for it. And then sometimes in football you just can\u2019t rationalise it. You just go: \u2018Maybe it wasn\u2019t meant to be.\u2019 Then you try to move on with your life.<\/p>\n The learnings you take from these experiences, they\u2019re painful. I won\u2019t share my learnings with you because it\u2019s hurt me to get them. I think it should because that\u2019s how you improve.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Sweden<\/a> team, as would be expected barring injury, is the same starting line-up that thrashed Tunisia.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n More from the two coaches.<\/p>\n Ronald Koeman. \u201cI\u2019ve spent a lot of years in football in the Netherlands<\/a> as a player and a coach. Of course, there is some pressure but we\u2019re used to that. I think that as the Netherlands we always have the support of our fans and hopefully we can celebrate three points tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n Graham Potter: \u201cIt\u2019s about how we perform and the mentality we have. We know that we are a work in progress and we\u2019re improving. We have to play better against a better opponent and I think we\u2019re ready to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n That Swedish formation? 3-4-1-2? And the Dutch is the customary 4-3-3? Micky van der Ven as left-back, as needs must. Or at least Koeman prefers.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n So, De Jong is fit, and will start for the Netherlands<\/a>.Memphis Depay \u200bstarts on \u200cthe bench, Quinten Timber out \u200cwith concussion. Gyokeres and Isak lead Sweden attack. Yasin Ayari starts in midfield after scoring two goals against Tunisia.<\/p>\n De Jomg profile<\/a>Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a012.05 EDT<\/p>\n The teams<\/p>\n Netherlands: Verbruggen, Dumfries, van Dijk, van Hecke, van de Ven, Gravenberch, de Jong, Reijnders, Malen, Brobbey, Gakpo. Subs: Flekken, Roefs, Ake, Geertruida, Hato, Kluivert, Koopmeiners, Lang, Depay, de Roon, Summerville, Til, Weghorst, Wieffer.<\/p>\n Sweden: Nordfeldt, Lagerbielke, Hien, Lindelof, Karlstrom, Bernhardsson, Nygren, Ayari, Gudmundsson, Gyokeres, Isak. Subs: Zetterstrom, Viktor Johansson, Herman Johansson, Bergvall, Svensson, Elanga, Sema, Ekdal, Starfelt, Svanberg, Smith, Zeneli, Stroud, Nilsson, Ali.<\/p>\n Referee: Michael Oliver (England)<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n The Sweden<\/a> coach, Graham Potter, has been talking about Alexander Isak, who scored against Tunisia: \u201cAlex has had a season that has been interrupted,\u201d Potter said. \u201cMost football players would say they need a certain amount of time and games to get up to top, top level, so we\u2019ve had to try to build Alex up. I think there\u2019s more to come from him.\u201d<\/p>\n Sweden head coach Rip Wheeler from Yellowstone Graham Potter. Photograph: Petter Arvidson\/BILDBYR\u00c5N\/ShutterstockShare<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.40 EDT<\/p>\n Joe Pearson gets in touch: \u201cIn progressive rock circles, Sweden<\/a> is one of the leading countries of the genre, with artists such as The Flower Kings, Opeth, and Samla Mammas Manna all arising from there. Norway has also stuck its toe in, with the very fine Wobbler and less-mentioned Motorpsycho. On the whole though, I\u2019ve got to give the advantage to Sweden. I mean, they\u2019ve got \u00c4nglag\u00e5rd and Anekdoten on the bench!\u201d<\/p>\n Dutch prog? I\u2019m thinking Focus.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Koeman has also been talking about the 2-2 draw with Japan.<\/p>\n \u201cFirst of all, the impact or influence of the substitutions \u200bwas not positive and I am accountable for \u200cthat of course. I accept criticism towards me. It\u2019s not an issue. I took my decision because I \u200cspoke with my staff. I also made clear what I did want to change. We should have pressed more, high on the pitch, and we were not able to do<\/p>\n On Sweden: \u201cThey are pacy, they are strong and they are able to find the net,\u201d Koeman said. \u201cSo we will focus on them, we\u2019ll pay attention to them. But we have to focus on the entire Swedish team. They performed well on the pitch.\u201c<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Some early team news: Frenkie de Jong is a doubt for the Netherlands<\/a> after colliding with Quinten Timber, who came on as a substitute in a 2-2 draw against Japan in Texas, and is definitely out with mild concussion.<\/p>\n Ronald Koeman was not happy, as these quotes suggest: \u201cThere was a collision which caused a light concussion, so Quinten will not play this match. After this match, he might be ready.<\/p>\n \u201cBut Frenkie also had minor complaints about his physical condition… let\u2019s see how he will be tomorrow.<\/p>\n Koeman would only De Jong\u2019s injury was \u201cbelow his abdomen \u2026 Quinten tripped and this caused an injury for Frenkie. I have already explained quite a lot about his injury.\u201d<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.19 EDT<\/p>\n So, what\u2019s it actually like out there? Hear from our writers, in alphabetical order.<\/p>\n double quotation markThe mid-west charm in Kansas City is a reminder that the US is more than what you see on the news. The extreme weather\u2019s tough, though. Last Saturday brought heat and high levels of humidity in the afternoon, then tornado warnings in the evening. It\u2019s quite hard not to eat meat here. It feels like chicken is the vegetarian option. Are people interested in the football? It\u2019s mixed. The USMNT\u2019s opening game was on in our hotel lobby. A group of Americans were watching baseball on another TV and occasionally came over to check the score. But then I\u2019ve just met a Chelsea fan during the Mexico v South Korea game<\/a>. He knew his football. Jacob Steinberg<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Have a read of Football Daily. Turkey out, if not the first team out. That was Haiti. Still, I fancy Turkey to do well one day.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Updated at\u00a011.05 EDT<\/p>\n The group table, as it stands.<\/p>\n Share<\/a><\/p>\n Last time out, the team\u2019s opening matches. <\/p>\n Share<\/a>Preamble<\/p>\n Houston, we have an all-European tie to consider. This is a tough group, and Sweden\u2019s opening show against Tunisia was impressive. The Dutch team fought out a high-quality draw with Japan. The magic four points is within reach for both, particularly with Tunisia to face in the last group game for the Dutch. Sweden\u2019s win got Tunisia\u2019s coach sacked, and if Ronald Koeman is safe, a defeat here will cause him considerable trouble. Sweden have found a formula in Alexander Isak and Viktor Gy\u00f6keres worked wonders while Yasin Ayari was superb. The Dutch were denied by Daichi Kamada at the conclusion of a 2-2 draw where they, typically, started slowly. The three-times losing finalists against the one-time losing finalist (1974, 1978 and 2010 v 1958) is a meeting of World Cup<\/a> heritage, a heavyweight clash.<\/p>\n Kick-off is 6pm UK\/1pm ET, 12pm Central\/3am AEST. Join me.<\/p>\n