Game 26: Cameroon vs Denmark

Unfortunately I missed most of this game due to certain reasons, which is a shame because it looked like a good one from what I saw.

So instead, here is a link to ESPN soccernet: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=264058&cc=5901&ver=us

... As it would be a shame for me to do a recap when I didn't see it.

Anyway, Cameroon is now eliminated, the first team in the tournament to crash out. Their loss also ensured that the Netherlands is the first team to go through.

For the first ever World Cup on African soil, the African teams sure are doing bad. I had Ghana and Cameroon to go through, the latter is eliminated, and the former might not even make it! Meanwhile South Africa and Nigeria have very little chance of going through. Ivory Coast may upset Portugal, but we will have to wait for the next two days to see.

Once again, my apologies, I'll be back tomorrow with all the recaps.

Game 9: Netherlands vs Denmark

The Orange army was out in force for this game, but what they would witness was Holland narrowly edging out Denmark.

Denmark proved to be equal to the task of taking on one of the favorites, mounting an astounding defense that would frustrate the Dutch. Holland started with van Persie, Kuyt, Sneijder, and v. der Vaart as their top four, and although those are some quality players, they were really missing some speed, especially in the form of Arjen Robben; however, they would find their answer later in the second half.

For the first half the Dutch were having a very hard time creating chances. Although they were moving the ball well, it was not fast enough, allowing the Danes to quickly restructure and react. Nerves also got the better of the Netherlands in the beginning, when some bad passing would allow Denmark to mount some counter-attacks, some being more successful than others. Things were looking bad for the offensive minded Dutch until they got some breathing room in the 46th minute when Paulson, a Danish defender, would accidentally head the ball into his own net.

Slowly but surely Denmark would start to crumble, while Holland would keep pressing. It was not until the 67th minute, however, when Elia came on for v. der Vaart that Holland would finally start to get some results for their efforts. His impact was immediate, turning defenders on the flank, putting balls into the middle with solid crosses, and just completely dominating the Danish defense. Elia brought some speed to the pitch, something the Dutch were lacking without Arjen Robben. This speed would pay off as Elia would sneak behind the Danish defense, after a wonderful through ball from Sneijder,  and take a poke at the ball, sending it around the keeper Sorenson, only to hit the post; fortunately, Dirk Kuyt was there to tap it into the goal, yielding the final score of 2-0 in favor of the Netherlands.

If I may be bold, I think Elia should start. Van der Vaart is a natural candidate for replacement as he constantly played out of position. Instead of being on the left where he was supposed to be, he would drift into the middle. This would be detrimental to Wesley Sneijder who needs that space in the middle to be at his best, instead Sneijder would constantly be clogged, and unable to perform because v. der Vaart would track to many defenders in. Additionally, having someone who is extremely fast and able to run at defenders is very important for most teams, and the Dutch were lacking that until Elia came in. The reason I want Sneijder to stay in, even though this match was less than stellar for him, is because if he is not clogged up then he has the potential to be brilliant, sadly Raphael and Wesley did not click this game. I was really impressed by this kid, he brought some life to the team.

For Denmark, don't be dis-heartened! You may have lost, but you performed very well, much better than I expected. If the Danes are able to work on their counterattacks, they could easily go through the group in second place. Work on feeding Bendtner a bit more, and the man will score some goals, as he came very close a few times today. Their defense was impeccable, one of the best at the tournament so far. Plus they had Sorenson behind them, who came up with some really big saves. I was really impressed by Denmark this game.

Group G: Portugal

For being one of the top teams in the world, Portugal has really struggled lately.  Throughout qualifying they never looked like their normal dynamic selves, as they ended up placing second to Denmark. In order to even make the tournament, Portugal had to go into a playoff match, luckily for them, it was against a weaker Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Maybe it was just circumstance, surely Portugal were better than that? However, they continued to show poor form in the warm-up matches, and with the World Cup starting tomorrow, Portugal fans have a sense of nervous anticipation, which was only increased with the loss of Nani, the brilliant midfielder of Manchester United has been ruled out of the tournament through injury.

Portugal have at their disposal some incredible talent, but Christiano Ronaldo [pictured] is the centerpiece. After having an excellent season with Real Madrid, the winger/forward/offense midfielder will be looking to carry his form over to the World Cup. Extremely fast, and capable of some of the finest technical skill in the world, he can single handily win games for his team. This will be very important for Portugal because during qualification they had a hard time scoring goals when Ronaldo didn't play.  If he manages to keep his top level of play, and the defense can hold steady, then Portugal would not only have a shot of making it out of the Group of Death, but challenge for the title as well.

My Prediction: Second Round

Group E: Cameroon

Cameroon is a team dependent on captain Samuel Eto'o [pictured], but he has been in the news lately for all the wrong reasons.  Former Cameroon player Roger Mila has come out to criticize Eto'o, saying (in regards to his ego) that he has not done anything for the nation. Now a typical professional would just ignore such a comment, go out on the pitch, score some goals, and prove his critics wrong. What did Eto'o do? He threatened to walk out of the team! Instead of showing up to training with the rest of The Lions on the first day, he went on a week long vacation. When he returned to play a warm-up match, he quickly got a red card, displaying an arrogance that defies logic on the pitch, and a reaction reminiscent of simply not caring after he left.

Things do not look good for Cameroon.

On the plus side, the rest of the team would die for their country. They want to win, badly, since they are playing in the first ever World Cup on African soil. They did have lapses in qualification, with their defense being a little shaky, and only producing low scoring games when Eto'o was not around. But desire to win is what will drive The Lions past the group stage. Expect a 4-5-1 formation, with Cameroon playing very defensively, trying to find a weakness in the opponent. This will work very well against Japan, possibly slow the Dutch down, and provide an even playing field against the Danes.

Key Players: Out with Eto'o, in with Alex Song! The Arsenal midfielder can really dictate the tempo of a game, and will probably be Cameroons creative genius. Geremi, a defender, will be crucial to Cameroons defense, brining a wealth of experience from his time in the EPL and La Liga.

My Prediction: Narrowly losing out to Italy in the second round, as the Italians will be used to playing against Cameroon's style of soccer.

Group E: Denmark

Unfortunately, this is not the same Denmark as thirty years ago, a team that had "The Great Dane" Peter Schmeichel and the Laudrup brothers. Thankfully, for being dubbed the least experienced Denmark team for many years, the Danes were able to roll over their qualification group. Not only did they edge out Portugal for first place, but they disqualified Scandinavian powerhouse Sweden!

Although, it may be unfair to call the team inexperienced, as they are filled with some bright talents. Nicklas Bendtner [pictured] of Arsenal has been a promising prospect in London, while Daniel Agger has been playing a lot of first team soccer at Liverpool. Thomas Sorenson is also back, prepared to be the imposing force he usually is in front of the net. However, there are weak points, with the majority of the defenders playing at small clubs that do not compete against the best opposition. But Morten Olsen has been at the helm of the team for a long time, serving as coach for ten years and counting. The team and fans will just have to put their trust into him, as he attempts to bring new glory to a team that has failed to impress for the past four years.

Truthfully, it is a shame that Denmark will likely not make it out of the group stage, but their games are sure to be enjoyable. As is the typical Danish fashion, expect many late game goals that could surprise us all, which could allow them to narrowly avoid being knocked out.

My Prediction: Group E 3rd Place.

Group E: Japan

Takeshi Okada [coach] has already called for a semi-final spot, meanwhile the fans are already calling for his head. Naturally Japan flew threw the qualification like a Tsunami hitting land (now expected of both Japan and Korea); however, a poor string of results since leading up to the tournament has shown how bad of form Japan is in.

Their defense has been really suspect, having already given three own-goals in two warm-up matches. But that's not all, they can't seem to protect their flanks, allowing too many crosses into the box which has tested their keepers.

Japan, like the United States, is a developing soccer country, both with new leagues, and the players only starting to gain notoriety on foreign soil. In the future Japan could easily become a powerhouse, if they manage to keep up their development, but at the present time... Well, lets just say the citizens of Japan are hoping to win at least one game to remain happy.

Key Players: Naturally Nakamura Shunsuke [Japanese name form] is placed into this list. Already having played for Celtic in Scotland for a few years (but now back in Japan League) he has become feared across Europe for his dead-ball skills. However, this could be his last World Cup, and if ever he wanted to go out with a bang, this would be the time for it.

My Prediction: Group E 4th Place.

Group E: Netherlands

Eight straight wins in qualification, undefeated in world cup warm-up matches, it is easy to see why Oranje are one of the favorites to win the tournament. Due to years of total football, when the Dutch have always had a strong squad, the team has surprised many when they look at their history and notice a single finals victory, the 1988 European Championship

This is the statistic that has always plagued the Netherlands, they show up to a finals and progress through the knockout stages only to be beaten prematurely.  In a sense, they are just like England, and like England, many journalists believe this year will be different.

Notorious for locker room rows, the Dutch have apparently calmed down, and are playing more like a cohesive unit. Total football is even back, with the defenders randomly becoming attackers, and the attackers tracking back to defend. Although their defense is their weakest link, their midfield and forwards rank on top of the worlds elite.  Dubbed the fantastic four (pictured), Robin van Persie, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, and Rafael van der Vaart form the core of the team. They can score, take free kicks, run till their legs run off, stagger defenders,  and physically challenge for the ball. However, there could be a problem, Arjen Robben just injured himself, which isn't a big surprise, he is always hurt. As a result, Dirk Kuyt could take his starting spot, forming a strike partnership with van Persie.

Provided the team ceases all the typical in-fighting, then this could be a spectacular time in history for all soccer fans.

My Prediction: Runners-Up

Photo taken from: http://netherlands.worldcupblog.org/world-cup-2010/laughter-in-south-africa-oranje-trains-and-looks-forward-to-arjen.html , show your support to his wonderful Netherlands blog.