Netherlands national football players run as they take part in an official training session at Princess Magogo stadium. - AFP Photo
Dutch face Japan in potential group topping game
The Netherlands face Japan here on Saturday with both teams in a position to battle for top spot in Group E, a position that would see them potentially avoid Italy in the second round.
The Dutch beat Denmark 2-0 in their first game while the Japanese shocked Cameroon 1-0 for their first ever World Cup victory on foreign soil. The African side play the Danes in Saturday’s late match.
Dutch coach Bert Van Marwijk said the familiarity with Denmark’s game made for a no-mistakes contest on Monday, but he was expecting a different challenge against the Japanese.
“Now the players are more relaxed and less nervous after their opening game I expect a better performance against Japan,” he said.
“The opening game in a tournament is always difficult, and while our first-half performance was not up to our standard, we should have worked things out better over this week in training.”
But the Oranje, two-time beaten World Cup finalists in 1974 and 1978, will likely be without star Bayern Munich winger Arjen Robben, who has failed to recover from a left hamstring injury sustained in a 6-1 friendly win over Hungary just before the tournament started.
“He is coming along well, but he is not yet ready to play for an entire game and it could be another eight days,” van Marwijk said.
“I have to talk with our medical staff about Arjen, but I wouldn’t expect him to be at his top until next week.”
In their last encounter together, the Dutch beat Japan 3-0 in a friendly in Enschede in September, but the Blue Samurai dominated early on before conceding three goals in the last 20 minutes.
But that result has not prevented Japanese coach Takeshi Okada, who prior to the finals said he wanted the Japanese to reach the last four, from saying that despite all the Dutch players posing a danger, it was pointless going for a draw.
“My players are highly motivated now and they are raring to go,” said Okada.
“I’m half-idealist and half-realist. I will take many things into consideration and aim to win.”
“There will be a chance for us to win,” midfielder Junichi Inamoto said, adding that the win over Cameroon had bucked an unwanted losing trend to Serbia, South Korea, England and Ivory Coast in warm-ups, with only one goal scored.
“I realise very much that the team’s momentum, unity and confidence have been lifted after we won the game, no matter how, after four defeats.”
Okada is widely expected to use the same first team against the Dutch, with former Mallorca striker Yoshito Okubo and Grenoble midfielder Daisuke Matsui in support.
The winner of the match has a good chance to go on to top Group E, meaning the round of 16 game will be against the runners-up in Group F, which comprises Italy, Paraguay, Slovakia and New Zealand.
The runners-up in Group E will play the winners of Group F.
KEY TO MATCH
Japanese defence v Dutch attack.
The Japanese defence will have its work cut out in staunching a vibrant Dutch attack that has yet to gel. The question is how long the Blue Samurai will be able to hold out for against the likes of the tireless Wesley Sneijder in midfield. If Sneijder clicks with his star-studded attack which boasts the likes of striker Robin van Persie and is supported by Dirk Kuyt and Rafael van der Vaart, Japan might struggle.
CAMEROON AND DENMARK IN “DO OR DIE” CLASH
Both Cameroon and Denmark will have their backs to the wall when they meet in a World Cup Group E clash at the Loftus Versfeld stadium here on Saturday.
Having lost their opening matches, both sides know that defeat in their second game of the group stages could spell the end of their interest in this year’s tournament.
If the Netherlands and Japan were to draw in the other group game, then a defeat would see either Cameroon or Denmark eliminated.
But with two rivals already on three points, anything other than a victory will leave either side still with a mountain to climb in order to reach the knock-out phase.
And that’s something that has not been lost on Indomitable Lions midfielder Enoh Eyong Takang who believes the Africans must improve up front following their opening 1-0 defeat to Japan.
“It really is a do-or-die game. We must win it if we want a chance to progress,” he said.
“We have to get the strike force going. We will have to score on Saturday.”
That was something they failed to do against the Japanese despite dominating the second half.
Cameroon looked impotent in attack against a team that was considered by far the weakest in the group.
One reason for that was coach Paul Le Guen’s decision to play star forward Samuel Eto’o wide right, a position he excelled in under Jose Mourinho for Inter Milan this season.
But Cameroon are not Inter and Mallorca’s Pierre Webo, who played through the middle, is not on the same level as Diego Milito, which made Le Guen’s decision even harder to comprehend as Eto’o was anonymous almost throughout the match.
And speaking to French TV channel Canal Plus, Eto’o left no mystery as to his feelings that his coach had made a mistake.
“At the end of the World Cup, Paul must answer to the officials. And me, as a player and captain, I must do the same,” he said.
“I played where the coach wanted. I gave it everything and I tried to put my team-mates in good positions to do their job.
It’s not just up front that the Indomitable Lions have problems, according to Monaco defender Nicolas Nkoulou, his team need to tighten up at the back as well.
“We lost a battle but not the war. Everyone’s behind us. It’s important to react on the pitch,” Nkoulou said.
“We’re not very happy with the number of goals we’ve conceded (eight in the last three games). We’ll do all we can to perform better come Saturday.”
Denmark are in an equally precarious position having lost their opener against the Netherlands 2-0.
They weren’t helped by an own goal from Daniel Agger but coach Morten Olsen said they have to forget that game and quickly focus on challenges ahead.
“We still have two important games,” he said.
And he will be hoping that he can use Arsenal target-man Nicklas Bendtner for more than an hour, as he did against the Netherlands.
AUSTRALIA PREPARING FOR GHANA PACE ATTACK
A blur of pace, with young legs storming down the wings. Australia’s chastened World Cup team is preparing to come up against more of the same on Saturday, but hope overconfidence will prove Ghana’s undoing.
Australia’s aging midfield and defense was destroyed by a youthful German team 4-0 in its opening match, and the nature of the defeat will be used as a blueprint by the African side in the crucial Group D match in Rustenburg.
Australia midfielder Vince Grella was ruled out of the match on Thursday after injuring his knee at training a day earlier.
With midfielder Tim Cahill also missing after being sent off against Germany and doubts over forward Harry Kewell’s ability to play a major role as he recovers from injury, Grella’s setback is a blow to a team needing to avoid defeat to stay alive in the competition.
Ghana midfielder Ibrahim Ayew said his team would expose the same flaws that were exploited by Germany.
“Australia must know we are going to attack and attack them,” Ayew said. “We are going to go all out. We will dominate them. We know they have some weak sides, and we will take advantage. We are young and we are really going to use our pace.”
Australia left back Scott Chipperfield, who endured a torrid night against Thomas Mueller in Durban, is expecting another big challenge.
“(Ghana is) a strong team, unpredictable and fast all over the park,” Chipperfield said. “Of course, they’re confident after their 1-0 win against Serbia. Maybe that can play into our hands.”
Criticized for his selections against Germany, Australia coach Pim Verbeek responded by questioning his players’ on-field organization. And Chipperfield acknowledged that the Socceroos were dragged out of shape by Germany’s midfield brilliance.
“Maybe the defenders played too high a line, but the main problem was they had the time and space in midfield to play the ball in behind us,” Chipperfield said. “Hopefully we control the ball better than we did against Germany – that’s a factor we need to improve.”
Several Australian players are set to quit international football after the tournament, and Chipperfield said the impending end would help to lift the team.
“It’s not an easy game and it’s tough when you have bad days, but how you bounce back determines how good you are. We’re a good team,” Chipperfield said.
One of the players who will quit is defender Craig Moore, who also struggled against Germany.
“We need to be better organized,” Moore said. “That was something we prided ourselves on in qualifying. If we can get back to that we have players who can cause problems and score goals.”
Kewell is ready to come back after only a few minutes of competitive football in 2010.
“I’m as fit as I can be,” Kewell said, adding he could play 90 minutes, “if I have to.”
“That’s what I am here for,” he added. “I have been training for four weeks now, and I feel good.”
