By Alvan Tay
Alvan Tay of RI. (Photo © Alvan Tay)
South Africa, Saturday, June 19, 2010 — There’s an age-old footballing adage that goes, “the ball is round”. Used to describe the fact that anything is possible and can happen in the beautiful game, this phrase has been used for situations of major upsets, late comebacks and also poor refereeing decisions. In the FIFA World Cup 2010, one thing is for sure – expect the unforeseen, as well as the unanticipated. With so many upsets and surprises already occurred in the other groups’ matches, it is amazing that Group E’s results panned out more or less as expected.
The Dutch and Japanese football teams both had different agendas coming into this Group E fixture between the two nations. Whilst Japan looked to avenge their 0-3 defeat at the hands of Holland nine months ago as well as to build on their World Cup campaign following a 1-0 win over Cameroon, Holland sought to improve on their dismal performance in the opening 2-0 triumph against Denmark and prove themselves to be true contenders for the World Cup title.
Holland vs Japan
Straight from the first whistle, Japan’s intent to take the game to their more illustrious opponents was clear as they constantly pressed the Dutch players whenever they were in possession. However, Holland quickly settled into the game and Japanese soon found themselves pinned back in their own half.
Despite dominating possession in the first half, the Dutch attack looked blunt at times as they lacked the killer ball in the final third of the pitch. Moreover, it was evident that the Oranje sorely missed the presence of winger Arjen Robben, whose incisive penetration and pace would have surely come in handy in unlocking an otherwise tight Japanese defence.
Waves upon waves of orange attack rained upon the men in blue though they dealt rather comfortably with Holland’s offensive force. Right-back Gregory van der Wiel was particularly impressive for the Dutch with his frequent marauding down the right flank to tuck in a few teasing crosses for van Persie. However, the Japanese did look pretty threatening on their speedy counter-attacks with Daisuke Matsui and Keisuke Honda linking up well on multiple occasions.
The conclusion of a drab first-half in which Holland dominated brought about the beginning of the second-half in which the Oranje came out with all guns blazing. The Dutch engine huffed and puffed and eventually the door that was Japan’s stern defence came crumbling down after a ferocious shot from the awe-inspiring Wesley Sneijder following some neat work from Robin van Persie earlier on.
As soon as the Oranje had taken the lead, the game swung heavily in favor of the Japanese as they consistently mounted attacks on the Dutch goal and forced them into making uncharacteristic errors, much like the fate which they suffered at the hands of their opponents in the first-half.
Though Japan staked a strong claim for a penalty amongst several other chances they created for themselves, Holland held out for a narrow 1-0 win over a spirited and determined Japanese side. Vast improvements were noticeable in both sides’ performances.
Holland appeared to be comfortable going forward though they would look forward to the possible return of Arjen Robben in the final group stage match. The Japanese, on the other hand, have proven that they could well be potential world beaters. Not cowed by their more gifted opponents, they did not show them too much respect and have many positives to take away from this defeat. This loss should not leave a bitter taste in their mouths.
Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder
The Dutch maestro put in a consistent performance for his team, capped by a superbly taken shot from outside the box. Though not at his best, most of Holland’s plays ran through him and he was especially vital in keeping possession as well as retaining it from the Japanese.
More News and Reactions
Japan coach Takeshi Okada praise courage of team
Holland coach Bert van Marwijk happy to win ugly
Not-so-total football proving successful
Video highlights of the match
Denmark vs Cameroon
Seven hours later, all eyes were at the Loftus Versfeld Stadium as Cameroon took on Denmark in the other Group E match. The two teams entered the match desperately needing a victory to keep their World Cup hopes alive and it was of little surprise that both sets of players went for the kill from the kick off.
Cameroon grabbed the early lead in the 10th minute through their captain Samuel Eto’o after capitalizing on a mistake by Danish defender Christian Poulsen and continued pressing the Danes with their talismanic captain looking superb throughout the evening.
Denmark were more relaxed and played a very tactical game with speedy winger Dennis Rommedahl constantly exploiting the space left behind by Cameroon’s Benoit Assou-Ekoto on the counter-attack. This move eventually paid off as Dennis Rommedahl ghosted past Assou-Ekoto to plant the ball at the feet of forward Nicklas Bendtner who could make no mistake with his finish.
Afterwards, it was an open game with Cameroon pouring forward and Denmark attacking on the counter. Eventually, the highly impressive Dennis Rommedahl grabbed the third goal of the game to give Denmark the lead in the 61st minute with an individual effort.
Cameroon then laid siege on the Danish goal as they tried to force out an equalizer to no avail with this exciting match finally ending 2-1 in favor of Denmark.
This result meant that Cameroon have become the first country to be knocked out of the FIFA World Cup. Cameroon’s coach Paul Le Guen was spot on with his team selection, restoring Eto’o as a forward and Achille Enama in midfield. However, that proved to be too little, too late for the Cameroonians as they crashed out despite a splendid performance, barring a few lapses in concentration from their defence.
As for Denmark, it will boil down to their final match against Japan to see which country qualifies for the round of 16 together with Holland. The Danes were calm and composed on the ball and their victory and performance in this match could well set the stage for a thrilling encounter with Japan when both sides meet in Rustenburg on June 24th 2010.
Man of the Match: Dennis Rommedahl
The Ajax Amsterdam winger was in sizzling form throughout the match. Constantly getting the better of the Cameroonian defenders with his pace, he grabbed a goal and an assist to help Denmark along in securing their victory.
More News and Reactions
Denmark coach Morten Olsen unhappy with team’s performance
Cameroon coach Paul Le Guan vows to stay on
Indomitable Lions lose their bite
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/
i like van persie! he the most kawaiiiii worxxedd xoxo!
wow! two thumbs up to this detailed account of the two matches by alvan tay.
i particularly agree with your opinion on holland’s improvement! but with such a performance, it is hard to imagine how they can take on the other giants such as argentina and perhaps spain, if they recover from their shocking first game defeat.
Nevertheless thank you for the insightful read and i must say you look pretty decent in white!
as a fan of japan I couldn’t agree more with your review. I find that you have a very acute knowing of the game. keep up the great work!
ps: kinda noticed you during Adiv.. 😉