By Kenneth Tan/Red Sports
Match Review
South Africa, Monday, June 14, 2010 – Three shots on goal, three on target, one goal. That was all Japan needed to beat a distinctly average Cameroon side.
In a first half where the ball rarely got into both penalty boxes, the appearance of an intruding bird on the pitch after 36 minutes threatened to be the most significant action to note until Japan scored with their first shot of the game three minutes later.
A Daisuke Matsui cross from the right evaded both Cameroon centre backs Nicolas N´Koulou and Sébastien Bassong to pick out Keisuke Honda at the far post. The CSKA Moscow man wasted no time in firing his shot into the left corner of the goal to give Japan a rather undeserved lead.
They lived up to their nickname of the Blue Samurai thereafter as they held off strong Cameroon resistance thereafter to pick up all three points.
The majority of the second half was dominated by the Africans without threatening to score as wide man Eric Choupo-Moting fired their only two real opportunities wide.
With the advantage of the first goal, Japan seemed content to sit back and defend their lead as their second shot on goal came on 81 minutes when captain Makoto Hasebe’s shot from outside the box was spilled by Soleymanou Hamidou.
They could have paid the price five minutes before the end of the match as Cameroon full back Stéphane M´Bia’s speculative 30-metre shot thundered off the crossbar with Japan keeper Eiji Kawashima totally beaten.
The somewhat lucky win meant Japan emulated the feat of neighbours South Korea in winning their first match in South Africa.
Japan now lies in second position in Group E with three points, just behind leaders Holland on goal difference. The two teams will face each other in the next round of Group E fixtures while Cameroon take on Denmark in a clash to avoid early elimination.
Next our stand-in pundit Asyraf Akbar provides us his post-match opinions. He predicted a 1-1 draw.
Mohd Asyraf Akbar of VJC. (Photo © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Asyraf Says:
In retrospect, looking back at the other matches (in the World Cup), I suppose we could call this game exciting. It was a nervy finish for the Japanese as Cameroon rained in attack after attack but to no avail, coming close only once when M’bia’s piledriver of a shot crashed into the woodwork.
However, credit to Japan, they did what they set out to do; score a goal and defend as if their lives depended on it.
Man of the Match: Keisuke Honda
The CSKA Moscow player was the bright spark in a somewhat dull Japan team. He also scored Japan’s solitary goal, ghosting behind two defenders and leaving them to collide mid-air before he calmly brought the ball down and smashed it past the helpless Cameroon keeper.
Flop of the match: Paul Le Guen
The Cameroon coach who got his tactics and selections horrendously wrong last night. He deployed star striker Samuel Eto’o on the right wing, and left out established defensive lynchpin Alexandre Song on the bench, when Cameroon desperately needed his services to stop Keisuke Honda from running riot on the pitch.
More News and Reactions
Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen unhappy with his team’s attitude
Goalscorer Keisuke Honda delighted at win
Video highlights of the match
| GROUP E | P | W | D | L | F | A | GD | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
HOLLAND  | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | +4 | 9 |
JAPAN  | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 2 | +2 | 6 |
DENMARK  | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 6 | -3 | 3 |
CAMEROON  | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | -3 | 0 |
For the World Cup fixtures list with Singapore broadcast timings as well as group tables and the list of CCs with free screenings, go to: http://redsports.sg/2010-world-cup-fixtures-groups/
hi everyone my name is augustine and i am the floorball captain of vjc! asyraf is my good friend!
hallo! hallo everybody!