World Cup 2010 – The Greatest Show on Earth V

We have now arrived at Week 5 in our meander through the World Cup Groups for South Africa 2010. In Group E we will find 2 Europeans, 1 African and 1 Asian team competing to progress through to the knockout stages.

There is certainly a contrast in this group, with 2 free flowing football teams and 2 dour, hard working teams that will compete for every ball.

Group E

Holland   -   Clockwork Orange,  FIFA ranked 3,  Price to win Group 1.7

Denmark   -   Danish Dynamite,  FIFA ranked 26,  Price to win Group 5.6

Japan   -   Samurai Blue,  FIFA ranked 45,  Price to win Group 15.0

Cameroon   -   Indomitable Lions,  FIFA ranked 20,  Price to win Group 5.6

Holland

The Dutch have long been admired for their free flowing football but for all their kudos, they have performed poorly when it has come to the greatest stage of all. True they have reached the World Cup Final twice, in 1974 and 1978, before losing out to the two host countries West Germany and Argentina.

Their hey-day was in the 70′s when their “Total Football” won them respect the world over and led to their nickname of the Clockwork Orange due to their precision passing and playing football all over the field. Yet they have never won the World Cup. They did win the Euros in 1988 in Germany and that is their finest hour in International terms. They won through to this World Cup by winning all 8 games in their qualifying group which included Scotland and then proceeded to play out 3 consecutive 0-0 draws in friendlies before beating USA 2-1 in Amsterdam last month.

They are a very classy and experienced side but for me they don’t have the strength throughout the team to go on and win this World Cup in South Africa. The manager is van Marwijk and the captain can either be van Bronckhorst of Feyenoord or van der Vaart of Real Madrid. A fair number of their side do play their football in Holland, which is just not strong enough to compete at International level. Of course they do have a number of players throughout Europe as well, including a few in Britain, Braafheid (Celtic), Heitinga (Everton), de Jong (Man City), Kuyt and Babel (Liverpool), van Persie (Arsenal). The ex Man Utd forward van Nistelrooy, who now plays in Germany will also be hoping for a recall but we shall have to see if that happens or not.

Their only group game to be played at altitude is their first game and it will be against Denmark, so there is no great disadvantage to them there. To be honest they should get through this group with little difficulty and I can forsee a situation where they may be able to play out a friendly little draw with Cameroon in their final group game, that will enable both of them to go through.

Denmark

They have got their work cut out. Still, they did come through a very tough qualifying group including, Portugal, Sweden and Hungary and they only lost one match and did beat Portugal and Sweden away from home. However, their hey-day, like Holland, has gone.

Denmark have never really done anything in the World Cup as yet and won’t be doing this year either. Their big International success was in Sweden in 1992 when they were crowned European Champions after defeating Germany 2-0 in the final. They never actually qualified for those finals but Yugoslavia were kicked out after qualifying, due to political wranglings and Denmark took their place. Throughout the tournament Denmark played a very dour, defensive game that took them all the way to the final and to win the trophy. A solid defence, with Schmeichel in goal and a touch of brilliance from Laudrup were enough that year but unfortunately that will not be enough this year.

Denmark have been solid on the International scene for the last 25 years but they no longer have the Laudrups, the Olsens, the Larsens or the Schmeichels. What they do have, is a hard working team with Morten Olsen as the coach and Jon Dahl Tomasson as the captain. Notable English based players are Sorensen (Stoke), Agger (Liverpool) and Bendtner (Arsenal). This will be their 4th World Cup but probably not their finest.

I fear they will not have enough craft or invention to break teams down and will get caught out at the back, when they let their guard slip. I just think that Holland and probably Cameroon will have too much for them and they will be fighting for the wooden spoon with Japan.

Japan

The Blues have come a long way since they formed their first professional football league in 1993. The J League transformed the game in Japan, from a poorly run semi-professional league into a modern, well structured set up, that is now going from strength to strength. The J League was built on the success of the National team winning the Asian Cup in 1992. Japan has gone on to win the Asian Cup on another two occasions in 2000 and 2004.

They have done fantastically well to qualify for the last 4 World Cups, with their best performance coming in 2002 when they co-hosted the event with South Korea. They managed to get through the group stages, only to lose 1-0 to Turkey in the round of the last 16. Their other claim to fame came in the Confederations Cup in 2001, when they finished Runners-Up to France, losing 1-0 in the Final.

Almost all their players play in Japan with just a few exceptions. Head Coach is Okada and their captain is the Yokohama defender, Nakazawa. They have just lost 3-0 to Serbia in Japan, where all 21 of the squad came from teams within Japan and that is their real problem. Whilst they have great experience in the side, it is all at the level of Japanese football and that is not going to serve them in good stead for this World Cup.

They do have 3 more friendlies lined up before South Africa, in fact they are due to play England at the end of May in Austria as part of their altitude training. In South Africa thet will come up against 3 teams that will be just too strong for them. Japan do not have the power within the team to inconvenience good sides. They do have a doggedness that will keep them close but they will always end up losing 1-0. Their best opportunity would have been if they had played Denmark first but unfortunately they play them last and by that time their chance will have gone.

Cameroon

The Lions certainly did not roar at the recent African Cup of Nations. They were very fortunate to get through the group stages, after putting up 3 feeble efforts in their group games. They did however show up better in the Quarter Finals before going down 3-1 after extra time to eventual winners Egypt.

This will be their 6th World Cup and in 4 of their previous 5 they have failed to get through the group stages, the exception being in the very famous 1990 World Cup in Italy. Cameroon beat World Champions Argentina 1-0 in the group stages with a legendary header from Omam Biyick, they finished top of the group but with a negative goal difference, the only time in World Cup history. In the last 16 they beat Colombia 2-1 with 2 extra-time goals from dancing Roger Milla. They then faced England in the quarter finals. England had one up before Cameroon came back with 2 goals in 5 minutes midway through the second half. They wer 7 minutes away from knocking England out before a Lineker penalty took it into extra time and another Lineker penalty sealed a 3-2 win for England.

Cameroon will want to make up for a disappointing African Nations and under French manager Paul le Guen they should have a good chance of getting out of the group. They do have some fabulous players, Eto’o (Inter) is the captain, Alex Song (Arsenal), Assou-Ekotto and Bassong (Spurs), N’Guemo (Celtic), Bikey (Burnley) are the UK based ones. They have been African Champions 4 times, so do know how to win and I expect them to be more positive this time around.

They will have a fight on their hands with Denmark and Japan but if they can up their tempo, they do have the flair to beat that pair.

Group E

The Group dynamics will be sorted out in the very first game when Holland take on Denmark in Johannesburg on June 14. If Denmark can gain some sort of result from that game, then they should be able to make it through. However, I personally believe that the Orange will prevail and make a winning start, this will then put Denmark on the back foot for the rest of the group games. For me Cameroon have a great opportunity. They play Japan first, then Denmark and finally Holland. I can see them beating Japan, getting at least a draw with Denmark and then a convenient draw with Holland would send them through. Unfortunately Japan have got a tough group and will not make it but it would be nice to see them pick up at least a point from somewhere.

Final Placings

1    Holland

2   Cameroon

3   Denmark

4   Japan