I think we need to rename this to Group FUBAR because of the incredibly high likelihood of blowouts that occur here.
Sweden, fresh off a 5-1 win of their own over Tunisia, were on the receiving end of the same scoreline at the hands of the Netherlands. Meanwhile, sacking their coach did not prevent Tunisia from again losing by four goals and elimination after just two games after being dominated by Japan.
NETHERLANDS 5, SWEDEN 1
It was a tale of two halves...or, rather the same Dutch tale told in both halves.
Brian Brobbey scored a first half brace inside the first twenty minutes, dispatching two close range efforts on assists from Cody Gakpo and Denzel Dumfries in the 5th and 17th minute respectively.
After halftime it was Gakpo's turn to do the finishing, sliding home a Dumfries cross two minutes after the restart and then completing a counter attack seven minutes later with a tidy near post finish.
Jake Catanese
Substitute Anthony Elanga broke free four minutes after entering the match in the 59th minute with a breakaway effort to get Sweden on the board but that was barely consolation as Crysencio Summerville added the Oranje's fifth a minute before the end of regulation time when he slotted home from the top of the box.
Sweden became the first team to win their first game by four goals and then lose their second by four goals since...Sweden in 1938.
JAPAN 4, TUNISIA 0
I am going to assume that if Tunisia sack Herve Renard and hire a third coach for their final match (against the Netherland) and they lose by four again that will be a record that will never be touched.
The Blue Samurai scored early and often and appear to be well on their way to the knockouts after a 4-0 win in the nightcap from Guadalupe.
Daichi Kamada needed only four minutes to convert essentially Japan's first attack when he turned in Keito Nakamura's endline cross at close range though how much he knew about his heel flick finish we may never be able to answer.
Jake Catanese
At the half hour mark, the Blue Samurai doubled their lead when Ayase Ueda smashed a long range effort across the top of the box into the far side netting past Aymen Dahmen in the Tunisian goal.
In the second half, Ao Tanaka started an attacking move sending the ball forward to Ueda who flicked it behind everyone for Junya Ito who held off a defender and buried the finish into the corner to put the game away in the 69th. Ueda would complete the demolition with a floated header off a Kaishu Sano cross in the 83rd that would have rivaled a perfect Ray Allen three point jump shot as it tickled the twine of the side netting.
Tunisia took just two shots, put none on target, generating a woeful 0.05 xG as they were eliminated after two games.
Jake Catanese
GROUP OVERVIEW
I don't know if the Netherlands and Japan can play the who can score the most goals game again, but right now it's the Oranje that hold the goals scored tiebreaker with one more scored than Japan. I dare not say three points for the Netherlands is assured against Tunisia...but that might be the most shocking result of the tournament so far if it doesn't happen.
Sweden are not out of it as they can overtake Japan with a win and could still win the group in the unlikely event of the Netherlands faltering. The Sweden-Japan matchup should prove highly entertaining and probably high scoring.
UPCOMING MATCHES
Thursday, June 25
Match 57: Tunisia vs. Netherlands, 7 p.m. on Fox (Kansas City, Mo.)
Match 58: Japan vs. Sweden, 7 p.m. on FS1 (Dallas)
