Analysis: What Went Wrong During Netherlands' Difficult Phase Against Sweden

Thanks to Bart Verbruggen, the Netherlands national team managed to survive a significant downturn in their second World Cup match against Sweden (5-1) before halftime. As they approach the knockout stage, where the Netherlands will encounter opponents of greater quality, it is crucial to learn from this challenging phase. There is a need for a tactical reconstruction regarding Sweden's transition and the reasons behind the Netherlands' sluggish response.

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Ronald Koeman vividly illustrated how the Netherlands needed to defend. He raised four fingers in the air, gestured his arm to the right, and then raised four fingers again, depicting the need for a defensive shift to 4-4-2 following Sweden's transition. "We did not recognize how the opponent transitioned effectively," Koeman analyzed after the match. The self-sufficiency on the pitch that the coach hoped for was not evident against Sweden. In fact, the coaching from the sidelines initially caused even more confusion.

Both Koeman and captain Virgil van Dijk identified the first hydration break as a pivotal moment. This prompted an analysis of exactly what Graham Potter implemented and how the Netherlands sought answers.

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