Day 9 - CLOCKWORK ORANJE
Netherlands advances to Round of 16 after registering win over Japan; Denmark outguns Cameroon; Ghana ties Australia via another penalty kick.

June 19, 2010
by Dan Krier

Netherlands 1 - Japan 0

Holland’s orange-clad team of superstars scored an early 2nd-half goal, and held on to take home their second victory of the 2010 World Cup, defeating Japan 1-0 in Durban on Saturday afternoon.

With the win, the Netherlands are assured a place in the Knockout Stage of this year’s tournament; the first to secure such a birth.

Both teams came into the match having won in their first games last Monday, so each side knew today’s outcome would be critical. Yet after 45 minutes, it seemed like both might be content to merely work a tie, the score going to the lockers 0-0 after only a few offensive chances at most.

Not long after the break, Holland cleared things up.

In the game’s 53rd minute, with the Dutch probing forward trying to crack the deadlock, a crossed ball towards the goal was headed by a Japanese player toward Robin van Persie, who calmly slid the ball back outside of the box to the anticipating foot of midfielder Wesley Sneijder.

Without a trace of hesitation, Sneijder launched a missile of a shot that pulsed towards the goal at light speed, so hard and direct that Japanese goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima’s hands did nothing to thwart the bullet, the ball taking a deflection off the goalie before splashing into the back-right corner of the net.

Japan’s offense then seemed to wake up at this point, and there were several scoring opportunities for the men from the Far East.

But their best chance came right at the end, in the 90th minute, when defender Marcus Tanaka flicked a long pass onward towards teammate Shinji Okazaki only eight feet from the goal. Unfortunately, Okazaki’s sweeping left-foot shot sailed just over the crossbar by a fortunate two inches for Netherlands, who now had the win in hand.

Therefore, the Japanese have some work to do next Thursday if they want to move past the first round. Luckily they will face Denmark with the ability to go through on goal differential in the event of a tie, being that the Danes lost to Holland 2-0. A win, and of course, they’re in.

So things aren’t so bad for Japan…as long as they don’t lose their next game. If only it were that simple. Should be a fun finale.

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Denmark 2 - Cameroon 1

Do you like great defense and clinical goal finishing? Well then then this game wasn’t for you.

A rare combination of poor defending and frustrating offense saw Denmark overcome a 1-0 deficit to Cameroon en route their first win of the 2010 World Cup.

Things looked promising at the start for the Indomitable Lions, who capitalized early on one of the many Danish defensive giveaways. Utilizing a quick steal by Pierre Webo in the 10th minute, the forward connected with disgruntled superstriker Samuel Eto’o on a low cross in front of the goal mouth. Eto’o then calmly smacked the ball into the back of the net, giving his team a 1-0 cushion.

But soon the match turned into a wide-open affair, where it would stay for the remainder of the night.

In the 33rd minute, the Danes traversed almost 3/4 of the field in just 5 seconds on an amazing 50-yard pass from Simon Kjaer to Dennis Rommedahl. Rommedahl took two steps before firing a cross directly to the foot of sliding center-back Nicklas Bendtner, who made sure he wouldn’t miss from so close in. 1-1 was the score, momentum to Denmark.

Then in the 61st minute, after a bevy of shots from both sides (many of which should have been converted), Rommedahl took matters into his own hands, receiving a pass up the right wing before cutting towards the goal Landon Donovan-style, hitting a classy left-foot liner that hooked around the goalie for the 2-1 Denmark lead.

Overall, it was a tough but exciting game to behold. Both squads squandered numerous scoring opportunities, but that’s because both defenses had no issue yielded acres of space to opposing offenses. I’m not sure what to say, but it was a bit horrid and a bit fantastic.

Denmark now controls its own destiny, and can reach the next phase of the World Cup by defeating Japan in their final prelim on Thursday. Cameroon, on the other hand is finished, and has only pride to play for when they take on the Netherlands.

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Ghana 1 - Australia 1

In a game where Australia took the lead in a World Cup match for the first time in team history, Ghana struck back with a well-earned penalty kick that enabled them to pull off the 1-1 tie Saturday night.

Australia scored right off the bat, using a nice free-kick laser in the 11th minute by Mark Bresciano that bounced off the chest of Ghanaian goalkeep Richard Kingson before skittering towards a charging Brett Holman, who slotted the rebound for a 1-0 Australian lead.

But the superior side from Ghana immediately turned it up a notch, attacking with vigor until they were able to leave a lasting mark on the match.

In the game’s 24th minute, midfielder Andre Ayew wrestled his way up the right goal line, moving a well-struck pass back and towards the center of the field, where it was one-timed by defender Jonathan Mensah on its way for a goal.

Sadly, Australia’s Harry Kewell did his best to stop the shot with his shoulder, but instead took the projectile square in the right bicep, a HAND BALL that forced the head referee to issue a crushing RED CARD to the contrite but disbelieving defender.

For the penalty kick, Ghana called on striker Asamoah Gyan, who punched in his 2nd PK in as many games, making the score 1-1, where it stayed despite Australia playing with 10 men for the rest of the match.

Ghana now has 4 points in Group D, but faces the arduous task of squaring off against an unhappy German squad next Wednesday. Not only that, Serbia is going to take dead aim at the Australians in their final match, so what happens with this group is anybody’s guess.

Group D is going down as one of the most exciting mix-of-teams in World Cup history. Can’t wait to see how this comes to a close.

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