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FIFA WORLD CUP: JAPAN 1-0 OVER CAMEROON; NETHERLANDS 2-0 OVER DENMARK By Ronnie Nathanielsz PhilBoxing.com Tue, 15 Jun 2010  Japanese players celebrate after their win over Cameroon. HONDA DRIVES JAPAN TO A 1-0 WIN OVER CAMEROON Keisuke Honda drove Japan to a 1-0 win over Cameroon in the 2010 FIFA World Cup when he scored a fine goal that enabled Japan to record itsr first World Cup win on foreign soil in a match played at the Free State Stadium late Monday and telecast ?live? over ABS-CBN SkyCable?s ?Balls? Channel 34. The midfielder who plays for CSKA Moscow was thrust into a central attacking role by coach Takeshi Okada and the gamble paid off handsomely as Honda repaid his coach?s faith with an excellent goal. The Japanese survived a scare late in the match when the woodwork denied Stephane Mbia. The win shoved Japan in a tie with the Netherlands with 3 points at the top of Group E sending Cameroon into what may well be a doe-or-die match against the day?s earlier loser, Denmark. Here?s FIFA?s match report. The match began with a surprise in the Cameroon starting lineup with Mbia asked to fill in at right-back, his usual holding role in the middle going to Joel Matip. It was Cameroon's left-back Benoit Assou who was busier, though, with most of Japan's forward movement coming down their right side through Daisuke Matsui. The Grenoble-based midfielder was the creator of Honda's winning goal when, after several crosses that came to nothing, he finally got his angles right and swung over a high ball which evaded the Cameroon defenders and fell at the far post to Honda. The CSKA Moscow man needed one touch to control the ball before steering it coolly past Hamidou Souleymanou. Ironically Honda's strike came just moments after Cameroon had a shooting chance at the other end, when Eric Choupo Moting played a ball back to Enyong Enah but his low effort from the edge of the box went straight at Eiji Kawashima. There had been little end product up to then from the west Africans, despite their greater share of possession. Samuel Eto'o, Cameroon's captain, had a quiet half, although the couple of occasions he did get on the ball brought the promise something might happen. The constant noise inside the stadium rose several notches when the Inter Milan forward delivered an early scare for Japan's defence after eight minutes, freeing Pierre Webo on the right side of the penalty box but his intended cutback to Choupo Moting was cleared. Eto'o produced a flash of brilliance shortly after the restart when he span away from three blue shirts by the corner flag and teed up Choupo Moting for a shot that sailed over the far post. Cameroon were pushing Japan back and as night began to fall, and the temperature with it. Coach Paul Le Guen looked to increase the pressure by sending on a fourth forward, Achille Emana, in place of Matip in the 63rd minute. Webo got through but was offside, another Cameroon forward ? Mahamadou Idrissou ? entered the fray but still Japan absorbed the pressure. Indeed they might have had a second when Makoto Hasebe drew a low save from Souleymanou; substitute Shiniji Okazaki put the follow-up against the post but was offside. At the other end Mbia drove a shot against the crossbar but Japan ? eight years to the day since their last FIFA World Cup victory ? held on. A DUTCH TREAT FOR DENMARK The Netherlands, one of the pre-tournament favorites in the 2010 FIFA World Cup with Arsenal?s Robin Van Persie suggesting they could go all the way, found willing victims in Denmark who allowed the famous Orange jerseys to help themselves to a 2-0 win at Johannesburg?s Soccer City Monday evening. A near perfect header by Simon Poulsen which bounced off the back of Daniel Agger gave the Netherlands a lucky goal and a 1-0 lead. The only trouble was Poulsen was caught smiling after his terrible blunder and the television commentators raked him for his behavior which certainly didn?t please the Danish fans in the stadium or watching at home in Denmark. The 2-0 win gave the Dutch an early boost in Group E although their first half performance was unimpressive to say the least when compared to the clinically superb showing by Germany who whipped Australia 4-0. Denmark was content to defend and have Nicklas Bendtner as the lone striker up front but after a poor header that sailed wide of the goalpost and an injury bothering him the Arsenal striker was pulled out. Here is FIFA?s match story: Oranje coach Bert van Marwijk had sprung a pre-match surprise with the inclusion of Arjen Robben as a substitute and the early stages could certainly have done with the Bayern Munich winger?s pace and trickery. With Soccer City bathed in afternoon sunshine, the players took some time to establish the expected tempo, and the best efforts of a tight opening 20 minutes came through two hugely ambitious and off-target free-kicks from Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen. Neither side were doing themselves justice at this stage but, of the two, it was the Netherlands who were displaying the greater attacking intent, with Rafael van der Vaart proving a lively deputy for the sidelined Robben. Twice in as many minutes midway through the half, the Real Madrid midfielder turned neatly on the edge of the box to fashion scoring opportunities, but on each occasion was unable to find the target. Thomas Sorensen, fit again after suffering a dislocated elbow, endured a heart-stopping moment shortly after when he fumbled a tame-looking Dirk Kuyt shot only to recover the ball at the second attempt. The Dutch would have been worthy of a goal at this stage, but their failure to convert territorial dominance into goals threatened to cost them dearly as half-time approached. The warning signs had been there when, with 28 minutes played, Nicklas Bendtner found space at the back post to head wastefully wide from a measured Dennis Rommedahl cross. Rommedahl himself tried his luck soon after, firing straight at Maarten Stekelenburg at the end of a lightning Danish break, while Thomas Kahlenberg provided the best effort of the half with a flashing left-foot shot that forced a terrific save from the Dutch No1. However, it is not for nothing that Van Marwijk?s side came into this match on a record 19-match unbeaten sequence, and they took a deserved lead within a minute of the second half commencing. Robin van Persie was the goal?s architect, beating Sorensen to a through ball before curling over an inviting cross which Simon Poulsen, in his attempts to clear, headed across goal, but crucially against the back of Agger and into the net. The Danes nearly self-destructed again four minutes later when a misplaced pass allowed Van Persie a clear sight of goal, but the Arsenal forward hesitated and Sorensen smothered bravely. Van der Vaart then came close an early contender for goal of the tournament with an audacious flick matched only in quality by Sorensen?s agile save, while Sneijder rattled the crossbar with a deflected 25-yard shot. The Dutch were not to be denied, however, and their continued superiority was rewarded with five minutes remaining when Dirk Kuyt (who plays for Liverpool in the English Premier League) slotted home from close range after substitute Eljero Elia?s initial effort had struck the post. The bounce of the ball had again favored the Oranje, but there could be no Danish complaints about a result that is sure to enhance their Group E rivals? standing as genuine FIFA World Cup? contenders. Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.  |
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