The foreign media are lyrical about Brian Brobbey after the resounding victory of the Dutch team over Sweden (5-1). The striker was allowed to start the match and immediately seized his opportunity. ‘Brobbey, the man who completely tore Sweden apart and the wall that is easier to jump over than walk around.’
Alan Shearer, on behalf of the BBCraved about Brian Brobbey. “He is giving the three defenders of Sweden a nightmare. He is far too strong for them, he blows them away with his strength and speed. They have no control over him at all,” said Newcastle United club legend about the striker of rival Sunderland.
Ellen White, the England women’s all-time top scorer with 52 goals in 113 caps, agreed with Shearer’s words. “Brobbey moves very smartly, but is especially very smart by constantly feeling where his opponents are. Brobbey brings everyone into the match by keeping the ball well with him. This gives the Dutch team time to build up attacks and look for the right passes.”
The Dutch were clearly better in all areas, both individually and collectively
The Swedish Sportbladet looked with a lot of pain at the performance of his own team. The newspaper places the blame on national coach Graham Potter, but also saw that the Swedish team was simply trumped. ‘The Dutch were clearly better in all areas, both individually and collectively. This wasn’t a loss, this was a humiliation.’
Brobbey is praised again. ‘He may not be the most refined striker of all time, but in ‘football wrestling’ he probably has no equal in the world. Low center of gravity, muscular upper body. A lump of concrete that can also run fast.’
Real number 9
It was a bit of a surprise that Brobbey appeared at the kick-off. Crysencio Summerville was struggling with some aches and pains and Ronald Koeman wanted to see Brobbey in action. That choice turned out excellently for the national coach.
‘In an era where the true number 9 is less common and the role of striker is less important than before, Koemans Netherlands unleashed the immense power of one of their own. Brian Brobbey, the man who completely tore Sweden apart and the wall that is easier to jump over than walk around,” writes the Spanish ASH.
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‘That talent at Ajax, which from this year onwards was also regularly seen in the Premier League at Sunderland, was repeated on the largest and most prestigious stage: a World Cup. The way he uses his body is almost alien,” the Spanish newspaper concludes.
Also La Gazzetta dello Sport bawls his eyes out. ‘Gakpo was accurate again, a certainty. Summerville also asserted itself with its second goal this tournament. And then Brobbey, ‘TheBeast‘, delivered such a strong performance that they have to remove the 1 from his jersey number, leaving only the number 9.’
“Let’s zoom in on the first goal,” the pink sports newspaper continues. ‘In addition to the goal itself, which was achieved thanks to his instinct as a real goal getter, his rebound with which he keeps Hien at a distance and sets up the attack, and his running action towards the five-meter area, are also notable. After he had passed the ball, he sprinted forward at full speed and dove full-on for the ball.’