Netherlands v. Japan 1-0 19/Jun/10

Second Round, Third Game, Group E, Day 9. (24 of 64)


Dutch long range joy.
[Photo: AP via Daily Mail]


In the monumental Durban, the Dutch national team secured their passage to the following round as they beat a lacklustre Japanese side with the minimum margin. Again another blunder was the main factor only goal of the game in what was a pretty much dull match. Sneijder shot was savable indeed but Kawashima - who previously had some decent matches, including the one against England - managed to pull a Green-esque effort to put his team in the thin line.

Again, whether it is the nature of the dreadful Jabulani or the simple meteorological conditions the sole fact that this match ball has been the main culprit of many of the previous mistakes is alarming. Despite this, what appears to be even more alarming is the other strange fact of underrated of the matches: if we are relying on the terrible mistakes to watch goals, probably we should revise the format, the date of the event, the calendars and so on. Strangely the Japanese have a good chance to qualify to the following stages: they just need three points and several goals in the next game against Denmark and the dream could become true only if they evade such a dreadful staging as the one we witnessed today.



Another one: how many there will be at this World Cup?
[Photo: Reuters via Daily Mail]


The clear dominion by the Dutch team was proved when Van Persie was fouled in the 8th minute. His fellow countryman Sneijder tried luck but shot a wide freekick. The attacks from the European team were mainly down the left hand side; in one of them Kuyt nearly made a wonder goal after an accurate cross. Nagamoto retaliated after a quick combination of passes that ended in another wide shot. Honda and Tulio headed wide for the "visiting" team near the 33rd minute mark. Whether the Japanese were making amends from the dreadful opposition they were providing, at least they grabbed several decent chances. One from Matusi and another from Van der Vaart were enough to kill the first part off.


The following half lacked emotion whilst the action remained: Van Bronckhorst provided Van Persie with an effective cross which the Arsenal man could not help but head wide. Eight minutes after the start, the London striker was able to control a loose ball and set Sneijder whose fierce shot bend Kawashima's hand and got in the back of the net. The response of the Japanese was a shot from Okubo in the 56th minute, several weak approaches were made by Okada's army but all were wide and weak. In the final minutes probably the encounter posed its best: Huntelaar and Afellay joined forces and the latter nearly scored. The following action, with all the Japanese on the prowl for the equaliser, was deemed to be decisive when sub Okazaki made a final decent shot as he chest-controlled and volleyed.