‘It’s different, the freedom I have’: Cody Gakpo leaves Liverpool’s struggle behind with World Cup showdown
Liverpool fans must have seen this situation. It was the 54th minute of the Netherlands’ World Cup match against Sweden, when Cody Gakpo received the ball on the left side of the penalty box and cut it inside with his right foot.
Liverpool’s version – Premier League Gakpo – can be found kicking the ball in a different time zone in this space. But this is the World Cup Gakpo, Netherlands Gakpo, lithe and balanced, fierce and dead-eyed. He braced himself before placing a blistering shot past Swedish goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt.
Advertisement
Gakpo has now scored five goals in seven World Cup matches after playing a major role in this 5-1 victory. He has 23 goals in 52 games, scoring more than one goal in some games.
It would be unfair to say that he never showed that form at Liverpool. Gakpo scored 18 goals in the club’s 2024-25 Premier League-winning campaign and was a key part of Arne Slot’s title winners, a grafter off the ball and an attacking midfielder.
But those programs mentioned above have become rare. Last season he scored only nine goals in 52 games. His Liverpool record stands at 50 goals in 180 games. Not bad, but not the same player that Liverpool thought they were signing after his performance in Qatar in the summer from PSV to Anfield, where he scored in every World Cup team game.
“It’s a bit different,” said Gakpo, when asked to explain how he was able to perform at such a high level in a Dutch shirt. “The way I play here, where the coach wants me to be, the freedom I have at the club,” he said, before backing off as if he had said too much. “That’s right.”
He was certainly helped here in Houston by the presence of Brian Brobbey, the Sunderland striker who proved a nightmare in Sweden’s defence. Atalanta defender Isak Hien was exploited by Brobbey, who used his strength and pace to devastating effect with a double salvo.
Advertisement
“We have always known his qualities, he is very strong – very strong,” laughed Gakpo. “His composure and arriving at the right time in the box is amazing.
“We used him very well today, with two quick attacks. In the first one, he even caught the ball at the start and ran towards the goal. So we used his quality well and I’m very happy for him to score two goals.”
The Dutch attack was identified as their biggest weakness before the tournament. A defense consisting of Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven and Denzel Dumfries looks world class. The midfield of Ryan Gravenberch, Frenkie de Jong and Tijjani Reijnders is as good as any in the World Cup.
But where would the goals come from? Brobbey had only 13 games before this game. Gakpo has struggled at times for Liverpool this season. Crysencio Summerville has been cut by West Ham. The presence of Memphis Depay and Wout Weghorst in the team showed the lack of successors.
Brian Brobbey scores the Netherlands’ first goal of the game (AP)
But after dropping Crysencio and replacing Brobbey in the starting XI following a 2-2 draw with Japan, Ronald Koeman faced a powerful, talented attack that tore through Sweden.
Advertisement
Brobbey and Gakpo had two each and Crysencio scored the fifth in the win. Gakpo, Summerville and Memphis, the substitute, all picked up assists, as did Dumfries, twice, moving forward from right back. So have the Dutch been underestimated?
“We have many different qualities,” said Gakpo. “Speed, strong play, we play well in the box, Memphis showed its quality, even on the bench we still have Justin Kluivert and Weghorst. [both yet to play]so it’s good to have variety and qualities to help the team at any time.
“Japan behaved well, not as many chances as today. Today there was a lot of diversity in the attack, different positions, movement, so it was very difficult for the defenders to mark us. So maybe it was a little bit that we missed in the last game.”
