Netherlands reveal their secret weapon at the World Cup as Sweden’s true level is exposed
The pre-match discourse focused almost exclusively on Sweden’s luxury strikers. Graham Potter was asked three times about Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyokeres, about how he could squeeze the best from his uber-talents. Ronald Koeman was asked whether he was scared by them. “We’re not scared,” he said, and so it proved. Instead this was an afternoon in Houston when Sunderland’s Brian Brobbey out-did them both.
Brobbey scored two first-half goals which took the game away from Sweden, before the excellent Cody Gakpo added another two and Crysencio Summerville topped this 5-1 win. Perhaps most importantly, Brobbey showed the striker’s instincts that have been marked out as the great weakness of this Dutch team, a side full of defensive steel and midfield class but who supposedly lack a killer in the box.
AdvertisementAdvertisementWhich was a fair assumption. Brobbey had only one goal in 13 international caps before this game. Gakpo doesn’t play like this for Liverpool. Summerville has just been relegated with West Ham. But after starting Brobbey on the bench in Netherlands’ 2-2 draw with Japan, Ronald Koeman may now have a formula for Dutch success at this World Cup.
Sweden remain the great enigma of this tournament, a team of technical midfielders and a luxury front line, hoarding two elite strikers when most countries would spill blood for one. Spain would trade a playmaker for Isak. Brazil and Germany would be scary with a ruthless goalscorer. Imagine Portugal playing to Gyokeres instead of a famous relic.
On paper, Sweden should be the side that tore apart Tunisia in their opening game, and there were flashes of that quality here in Houston after Potter switched from 5-3-2 to 4-3-3 during the first hydration break – a pointless exercise in an air-conditioned stadium which was loudly booed. From there on Gyokeres was excellent, linking play with one-touch flicks that found rushing teammates and the chances flowed.
AdvertisementAdvertisementBut defensively, this performance was more like the Sweden who lost to Kosovo in qualifying, and who can be found plying their trade in Nations League C along with Luxembourg and the Faroe Islands. Atalanta centre-back Isak Hien was bullied by Brobbey, and Hien wasn’t helped by the way the Dutch prised open the Swedish flanks and fired in the low crosses which brought about their first three goals.
Instead it was the Netherlands who looked like a serious World Cup force. It helped that this was almost a home game, with orange shirts outnumbering yellow by perhaps 10 to 1. There are around 9,000 Dutch-born residents in Houston and most of them seemed to be here alongside thousands more who travelled across the Atlantic.
The NRG Stadium emerges from the concrete like some great alien office building, all square corners and steel girders hanging over the sides. It is very Houston, a city that doesn’t buy into aesthetics or pretence. Big is good. Metal is strong. Inside there are photos on the walls celebrating the occasional glories of the Houston Texans, interspersed with pictures of other stars to have graced this venue: mainly country musicians, monster trucks and cattle.
Koeman’s decision to start Brobbey paid off within six minutes. Netherlands made football seem like a simple game in those opening forays. Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen played a long pass to Brobbey, who bumped off Hien before racing past him to knock in Gakpo’s low cross. Brobbey’s second was another piece of classic centre-forward play, again bursting past Hien to toe in Denzel Dumfries’ cross.
Sweden looked panicky in midfield, where Jesper Karlstrom and Yasin Ayari kept lobbing aimless balls forwards rather than bringing it down to play as they did so well against Tunisia. The hydration break came at a good time for Potter, who chatted to an assistant for the first minute before gathering his players in a huddle.
His switch to a back four put Sweden on the front foot. They began creating chances, first for Ayari who chose to chest the ball rather than head it, wrongly as it turned out, when his torso trampolined the ball behind. Gyokores tried a curling shot and Verbruggen saved at full stretch. A Gustaf Lagerbielke header was ruled out for offside, and Verbruggen saved well from Ayari before half-time.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThe game felt alive despite the 2-0 scoreline, but it was effectively killed off two minutes into the second half when Dumfries again scurried free down the right and sent a low cross into the six-yard box. Gakpo did his best to miss the open goal, skewing the ball in with his ankle from two yards. Gakpo cut inside to drill in Netherlands’ fourth, proving World Cup Gakpo is a different beast to Liverpool Gakpo.
The introduction of Anthony Elanga gave Sweden new energy and he scored on the break, Verbruggen’s floodwalls finally breached. Elanga evoked a little history too, pulling off a Cruyff-turn-nutmeg which brought ooooos from the crowd, 52 years after Johan Cruyff first produced his famous turn against Sweden at the 1974 World Cup.
But Summerville added a fifth and ultimately the Netherlands were too good. Perhaps Sweden’s passive start was a tacit admission of that fact before the game had even begun. It was a match partly shaped by the two managers, by Koeman’s decision to start Brobbey, by Potter’s decision to switch to a back four. It just happened that Koeman’s decisive move came before kick-off, and Potter’s was made during a hydration break that shouldn’t exist.
Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price subsidising their life by livestreaming
Venezuela Fury and her husband Noah Price look to be making their own way in the world by raking it in from their lucrative social media accounts.
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury, 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year.
Since getting married and moving in together the couple have been earning thousands of pounds a month, livestreaming their life as newlyweds in their static caravan in the East Riding of Yorkshire.
And fans can't get enough of their regular life updates on TikTok and Kick, which have proved to be very profitable for the pair.
They look to be supporting themselves after Noah denied that he was given £5million by Venezuela's family as a wedding gift.
Despite his wife's huge family wealth, an estimated combined £160 million, Noah recently told his Kick followers that he 'pays for everything' for the couple.
Making light of the claims about Venezuela's millionaire financial status, Noah said: 'I actually pay for everything unfortunately. You'd expect the millionaire to pay for it wouldn't you.'
Venezuela Fury and Noah Price are earning thousands livestreaming their caravan life - after her new groom insisted he pays all the bills and denied he had £5m handout from her dad
The influencer daughter of Tyson and Paris Fury , 16, has become an internet sensation after tying the knot with her husband Noah, 19, earlier this year
Venezuela then asked their fans: 'Do you think I am a millionaire?'
Noah joked: 'She isn't a secret millionaire guys', before she broke into song and sang: 'But I live like a millionaire!'
But it seems according to estimated calculations from their social media work, Noah and Venezuela can more than afford to support themselves.
Noah has been livestreaming on platforms such as Kick and TikTok, where viewers can send paid gifts or donations.
He was previously encouraging viewers to send gifts on his honeymoon during livestreams, suggesting this is one revenue stream.
Both Noah and Venezuela have built substantial followings on Instagram and TikTok. They can potentially earn money through sponsored posts, brand collaborations, affiliate links and creator payouts.
Kick allows its creators to take home 95 per cent of the £4.99 subscription cost that fans pay.
Streamers keep 100 per cent of direct tips and donations, minus minor standard payment processing fees.
It is unclear how many subscribers Noah currently has because this information is hidden, but he does have 7,200 followers which is publicly viewable.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million.
An industry insider has suggested Noah is making around £400 per video on TikTok, while Venezuela is likely to make £2,000 due to her following count of 1.3 million
In one video on their honeymoon, Noah asked his followers if they'd give them some more gifts now that they were married.
In a TikTok live viewed by 20,000 he said: 'Keep liking our videos people, keep sending gifts.'
After saying thank you to several of his followers he joked they should stick around on the livestream and 'watch Venezuela punch me in the mouth'.
The other half of the honeymooning couple said: 'I am, honestly!'
Noah previously confirmed that the pair don't share their finances after they were asked whether they have a shared bank account.
'She earns her money, I earn mine,' said Noah, as Venezuela joked: 'Yeah, what you gonna do about it.'
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'.
Meanwhile Venezuela is being eyed up by executives for a fly on the wall TV series.
Noah went on to debunk the rumour that Tyson gave him £5million when he tied the knot with his daughter as he insisted: 'No Tyson did not give me £5million'
Boasting 1.3 million TikTok followers, Venezuela is already entertaining fans with her honest musings and candid moments, from cooking to kitting out her and Noah's static caravan home.
And following the success of the Netflix series At Home With The Furys, it is no wonder bosses are wanting to draw on the Fury popularity.
A TV insider said: 'The couple are not A-list celebrities but everyone has become obsessed with their love story.
'People are genuinely intrigued by them. Whether it’s the fact they have married so young, Venezuela’s famous family or their gypsy lifestyle, they have the ‘X factor'.
'Several TV executives think a proper fly-on-the-wall series following their lives as newlyweds in the gypsy community would be fascinating,' they told The Sun.
It is thought Netflix would be likely to produce the series due to their already established relationship with the Furys.
Venezuela's representatives told The Daily Mail: 'We have many offers on the table regarding Venezuela which we are discussing.'
