Oranje Spectacle Delights Ronald Koeman: 'That Gives Confidence'

The Oranje had a sluggish start to the World Cup with a draw against Japan, which led to considerable skepticism among Dutch supporters. Koeman acknowledged the pressure. "Of course, we needed this. When you start a tournament, you want to start well. That brings a sense of calm. There was more pressure to win now. Otherwise, it comes down to the last group match, and you don't want that," Koeman told NOS.

After a blistering start with two goals in seventeen minutes from Brian Brobbey, Sweden gained more control of the match. "We did well in many moments, but despite the 5-1 victory, you also see that at certain times, when they change their play, it takes us too long to recognize that. Then you run into trouble in the period before halftime."

"It was a solid win, but enough things happened where you think: that absolutely has to be better. Otherwise, you play a complete game. This one was almost complete," concluded the national coach. Thanks to the victory over Sweden, the Oranje are almost certainly through to the knockout stage. The final group match against Tunisia is next Friday.

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