2010 FIFA World Cup Group E
Encyclopedia
Group E of the 2010 FIFA World Cup
began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of the Netherlands
, Denmark
, Japan
and Cameroon
. None of these teams have previously met in a World Cup group stage.
The winners of this group, Netherlands, advanced to face the Group F
runners-up, Slovakia
, while Japan, as Group E runners-up, faced Group F winners Paraguay
. Cameroon was the first team to be eliminated in the World Cup, following their 2–1 defeat by Denmark on 19 June 2010.
All times local (UTC+02)
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DENMARK:
|
GK
1
Thomas Sørensen
RB
6
Lars Jacobsen
CB
4
Daniel Agger
CB
3
Simon Kjær
LB
15
Simon Poulsen
RM
20
Thomas Enevoldsen
CM
2
Christian Poulsen
CM
12
Thomas Kahlenberg
LM
10
Martin Jørgensen
(c)
SS
19
Dennis Rommedahl
CF
11
Nicklas Bendtner
Substitutions:
MF
8
Jesper Grønkjær
FW
17
Mikkel Beckmann
MF
21
Christian Eriksen
Manager:
Morten Olsen
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CAMEROON:
|
GK
16
Souleymanou Hamidou
RB
19
Stéphane Mbia
CB
3
Nicolas N'Koulou
CB
5
Sébastien Bassong
LB
2
Benoît Assou-Ekotto
RM
21
Joël Matip
CM
11
Jean Makoun
LM
18
Eyong Enoh
RW
9
Samuel Eto'o
(c)
CF
15
Pierre Webó
LW
13
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Substitutions:
MF
10
Achille Emana
MF
8
Geremi Njitap
FW
17
Mohammadou Idrissou
Manager:
Paul Le Guen
The win for Japan was their first World Cup win away from home soil, and it was also the first time Cameroon was defeated in a World Cup opening match.
when he shot over the bar from a long-range free-kick. When Japan broke up the Netherlands' passing, midfielder Daisuke Matsui
was positive, helping a move that set Yuto Nagatomo
up for a shot that he hit wide. The Netherlands became frustrated, as they struggled to incorporate forward Robin van Persie
. Towards the end of the first half, Japan had two chances: defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka
heading wide and Matsui with a powerful shot at the goalkeeper.
Throughout the second half, Van Persie managed to break free twice. In the 52 minute, as the ball came into the penalty area, the Dutch number 9 moved the ball towards Sneijder, who shot the ball powerfully towards the goal, scoring via a deflection from the goalkeeper, Eiji Kawashima
. Substitute Shunsuke Nakamura
later managed to make a cross into the six-yard box, which was cleared by Van Persie. Dutch substitute Eljero Elia
, managed to set up Ibrahim Afellay
with a one-on-one with goalkeeper Kawashima, but Kawashima prevented him from scoring a goal. One minute before the end of the game, Shinji Okazaki
missed a shot from 10 yard; shooting over the bar. Soon after this, Yuto Nagatomo
went down in the penalty area claiming a penalty, from a challenge by Dutch Nigel de Jong
, but the referee turned down his appeals.
The result was the Netherlands' second win in the competition, which meant that they would progress to the knockout stage regardless of the result in their final match.
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JAPAN:
|
GK
21
Eiji Kawashima
RB
3
Yūichi Komano
CB
22
Yuji Nakazawa
CB
4
Marcus Tulio Tanaka
LB
5
Yuto Nagatomo
DM
17
Makoto Hasebe
(c)
CM
2
Yuki Abe
CM
7
Yasuhito Endō
RW
8
Daisuke Matsui
LW
16
Yoshito Ōkubo
CF
18
Keisuke Honda
Substitutions:
MF
10
Shunsuke Nakamura
FW
9
Shinji Okazaki
FW
11
Keiji Tamada
Manager:
Takeshi Okada
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DENMARK:
|
GK
1
Thomas Sørensen
RB
6
Lars Jacobsen
CB
3
Simon Kjær
CB
4
Daniel Agger
LB
15
Simon Poulsen
CM
2
Christian Poulsen
CM
10
Martin Jørgensen
RW
19
Dennis Rommedahl
AM
9
Jon Dahl Tomasson
(c)
LW
8
Jesper Grønkjær
CF
11
Nicklas Bendtner
Substitutions:
MF
7
Daniel Jensen
MF
12
Thomas Kahlenberg
MF
14
Jakob Poulsen
Manager:
Morten Olsen
– only the second goal scored from a free kick in the tournament. Honda, standing to Danish keeper Thomas Sørensen
's left, kicked the ball with great force; Sørensen initially moved to his left, and as the ball sailed past the wall, he shifted direction, but could not recover in time to make the save. Japan's second goal came thirteen minutes later, also from a direct free kick, this time by Yasuhito Endō
. Standing outside the penalty area directly in front of the Danish goal, he curled the ball around the wall. Sørensen had been standing on the right side of his goal and could not move to his left fast enough. Endō almost scored from yet another free kick early in the second half. This time, Sørensen appeared to have difficulty judging the path of the ball, and was only able to palm it away at the last second, where it caromed off the goalpost.
Denmark needed to win this game in order to advance and increased their attacks accordingly. Late in the second half, Christian Eriksen
put his shot over the goal and Søren Larsen
hit the goalpost. They were finally able to score in the 82nd minute. When Makoto Hasebe
was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Agger
inside the penalty area, Denmark were awarded a penalty kick. Jon Dahl Tomasson
took the shot, which was saved by Eiji Kawashima
; the goalkeeper, however, was unable to control the rebound, which fell to Tomasson, and he was able to put it in the goal. Japan scored their final goal in the 87th minute. Honda dribbled into the penalty area, forcing Sørensen to attempt to block a potential shot, but Honda passed it to substitute Shinji Okazaki
, who merely had to put the ball into an empty net.
The victory was Japan's second World Cup tournament victory on foreign soil, and only their second against a European team. Japan finished group play in second place with six points, and advanced to the knockout round for the second time in their history, and the first time on foreign soil. Denmark ended in third with three points. This was the first time Denmark failed to get past the group stage in the World Cup.
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JAPAN:
|
GK
21
Eiji Kawashima
RB
3
Yūichi Komano
CB
22
Yuji Nakazawa
CB
4
Marcus Tulio Tanaka
LB
5
Yuto Nagatomo
DM
2
Yuki Abe
CM
8
Daisuke Matsui
CM
7
Yasuhito Endō
RW
17
Makoto Hasebe
(c)
LW
16
Yoshito Ōkubo
CF
18
Keisuke Honda
Substitutions:
FW
9
Shinji Okazaki
DF
15
Yasuyuki Konno
MF
20
Junichi Inamoto
Manager:
Takeshi Okada
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NETHERLANDS:
|
GK
1
Maarten Stekelenburg
RB
12
Khalid Boulahrouz
CB
3
John Heitinga
CB
4
Joris Mathijsen
LB
5
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
(c)
CM
6
Mark van Bommel
CM
8
Nigel de Jong
RW
7
Dirk Kuyt
AM
10
Wesley Sneijder
LW
23
Rafael van der Vaart
CF
9
Robin van Persie
Substitutions:
FW
21
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
FW
17
Eljero Elia
FW
11
Arjen Robben
Manager:
Bert van Marwijk
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
began on 14 June and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
, Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, Japan
Japan national football team
The Japan national football team represents Japan in association football and is operated by the Japan Football Association, the governing body for association football in Japan...
and Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
. None of these teams have previously met in a World Cup group stage.
The winners of this group, Netherlands, advanced to face the Group F
2010 FIFA World Cup Group F
Group F of the 2010 FIFA World Cup began on 14 June 2010 and ended on 24 June 2010. The group consisted of reigning World Cup holders Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand and Slovakia. Italy previously met Paraguay in 1950, in which Italy defeated Paraguay 2–0; neither qualified for the next round.Paraguay...
runners-up, Slovakia
Slovakia national football team
The Slovakia national football team represents Slovakia in association football and is controlled by the Slovak Football Association , the governing body for football in Slovakia. Slovakia's home stadium is Štadión Pasienky and their head coach is Vladimír Weiss...
, while Japan, as Group E runners-up, faced Group F winners Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
. Cameroon was the first team to be eliminated in the World Cup, following their 2–1 defeat by Denmark on 19 June 2010.
All times local (UTC+02)
Netherlands vs Denmark
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | NETHERLANDS: |
|||
| GK | 1 | Maarten Stekelenburg | ||
| RB | 2 | Gregory van der Wiel Gregory van der Wiel Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel is a Dutch international footballer who plays professionally for Ajax, as a right back.Born in Amsterdam to a father from Curaçao and a white Dutch mother, he is a product of the renowned Ajax youth system, who plays an attacking right back and is known for his speedy... |
||
| CB | 3 | John Heitinga John Heitinga John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented... |
||
| CB | 4 | Joris Mathijsen | ||
| LB | 5 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement.... (c) |
||
| CM | 6 | Mark van Bommel Mark van Bommel Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder.... |
||
| CM | 8 | Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.... |
||
| RW | 7 | Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.... |
||
| AM | 10 | Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... |
||
| LW | 23 | Rafael van der Vaart Rafael van der Vaart Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker... |
||
| CF | 9 | Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... |
||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 17 | Eljero Elia Eljero Elia Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the... |
||
| MF | 20 | Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of... |
||
| MF | 14 | Demy de Zeeuw Demy de Zeeuw Demy Patrick René de Zeeuw is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow and the Netherlands national football team. He is a defensive midfielder described as a good tackler and a gifted passer of the ball. He previously played for AGOVV, Go Ahead Eagles,... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time... |
||||
DENMARK:
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
Lars Jacobsen
Lars Christian Jacobsen, , and raised in Odense on Funen, is a Danish footballer. He currently plays for F.C. Copenhagen.-Odense Boldklub:Jacobsen started his career with local top-flight team Odense Boldklub...
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
Simon Kjær
Simon Thorup Kjær is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a centre back for Roma. He was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year and 2009 Danish Talent of the Year, and has played 20 games for the Denmark national football team.-FC Midtjylland:Born in Horsens, Kjær started...
Thomas Enevoldsen
Thomas Enevoldsen is a Danish professional football midfielder, who currently plays for the Dutch Eredivisie side FC Groningen...
Christian Poulsen
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C...
Thomas Kahlenberg
Thomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre...
Martin Jørgensen
Lars Martin Jørgensen , more commonly known as Martin Jørgensen, is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays for Danish club AGF Aarhus. Jørgensen has played 101 matches and scored 12 goals for the Denmark national football team. He is the only player that has represented Denmark...
(c)
Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup...
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
Jesper Grønkjær
Jesper Grønkjær is a former Danish professional football player. A pacey winger, he was able to play on the right or left wing and as a second striker. Grønkjær played a total 400 league games for a number of European clubs, most notably winning the 1999 Dutch Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and playing...
Mikkel Beckmann
Mikkel Beckmann is a Danish professional footballer. He plays as a winger for FC Nordsjælland in the Danish Superliga and for the Danish national football team. He has amassed 7 caps for Denmark in total, and was a member of the FIFA World Cup squad in 2010.-Club career:Beckmann started his...
Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax...
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... (Netherlands) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Eric Dansault (France French Football Federation The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris... ) Laurent Ugo (France French Football Federation The French Football Federation is the governing body of association football in France, as well as the overseas departments and territories . It was formed in 1919 and is based in the capital Paris... ) Fourth official: Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti Roberto Rosetti is a former Italian football referee. He is fluent in Italian, English and French. He started refereeing in 1983, and took charge of his first match in the Italian Serie A in 1996. He received his FIFA Badge in 2002... (Italy) Fifth official: Paolo Calcagno (Italy) |
Japan vs Cameroon
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | JAPAN: |
|||
| GK | 21 | Eiji Kawashima Eiji Kawashima is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010.... |
||
| RB | 5 | Yuto Nagatomo Yuto Nagatomo is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale.-Japan era:Nagatomo's grandfather Yoshida Tatsuo and Tatsuo's brother Minoru were famed professional bicycle racers who competed in Keirin. Nagatomo started playing soccer in kindergarten. He failed to join the Ehime F.C... |
||
| CB | 22 | Yuji Nakazawa Yuji Nakazawa is a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle... |
||
| CB | 4 | Marcus Tulio Tanaka Marcus Tulio Tanaka , formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:... |
||
| LB | 3 | Yūichi Komano Yuichi Komano is a Japanese football player. He plays for J. League division 1 side Júbilo Iwata. He is right-footed and mainly plays right full back for the club but he is often employed in the left for Japan national football team.-Playing career:... |
||
| DM | 2 | Yuki Abe Yuki Abe is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at... |
||
| RM | 8 | Daisuke Matsui Daisuke Matsui is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Dijon in Ligue 1.-Early years:In 2000, Matsui graduated from and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League.-Kyoto Purple Sanga:... |
||
| CM | 18 | Keisuke Honda Keisuke Honda is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World... |
||
| CM | 17 | Makoto Hasebe Makoto Hasebe is a Japanese football player. He is a right-footed midfielder who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg and is currently the captain of the Japan national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.-Urawa Red Diamonds :... (c) |
||
| LM | 7 | Yasuhito Endō Yasuhito Endo is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:... |
||
| CF | 16 | Yoshito Ōkubo Yoshito Okubo is a Japanese football player, he is a forward and currently plays for Vissel Kobe.- Career :On January 3, 2009, Vissel announced his transfer to VfL Wolfsburg of the 1. Bundesliga... |
||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 9 | Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:... |
||
| FW | 12 | Kisho Yano Kisho Yano is a Japanese footballer who plays as a striker for Bundesliga side SC Freiburg.-Career:Yano was chosen as one of the Designated Players for Development by J. League and JFA in 2002 when he was a student of Hamana High School. Because of this status, Yano was able to register as a Júbilo Iwata... |
||
| MF | 20 | Junichi Inamoto Junichi Inamoto is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Takeshi Okada Takeshi Okada is a former football player that was head coach of the Japanese national football team between 2007 and 2010.-International career:Okada played 24 games and scored one goal for the Japan national football team between 1980 and 1985.-Coaching career:... |
||||
CAMEROON:
Souleymanou Hamidou
Souleymanou Hamidou is a Cameroonian football goalkeeper.-International career:He was a member of the Cameroonian 2006 African Nations Cup team, who exited in the quarter-finals. He was again called up to the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he has so far been the starting...
Stéphane Mbia
Stéphane Mbia Etoundi is a Cameroonian football player who plays for French League 1 club Olympique Marseille.-Career:...
Nicolas N'Koulou
Nicolas Alexis Julio N'Koulou N'Doubena , commonly referred to as Nicolas N'Koulou, is a Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille.-Club career:...
Sébastien Bassong
Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena is a French-born Cameroonian football defender who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...
Benoît Assou-Ekotto
Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a left back.-RC Lens:...
Joël Matip
Joël Job Matip is a German-Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Schalke 04.-Career:Matip began his career with SC Weitmar 45 in 1994, and was eventually scouted by VfL Bochum in 1997. After several years in VfL Bochum's different youth teams, Matip was scouted by Schalke 04 in July 2000...
Jean Makoun
Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:...
Eyong Enoh
Eyong Tarkang Enoh is a Cameroonian football midfielder who currently plays for Ajax and the Cameroon national team.- Club career :...
Samuel Eto'o
Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy...
(c)
Pierre Webó
Pierre Achille Webó Kouamo , known as Webó, is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor in Turkey, as a striker.-Early years:...
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting
Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is a German-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for FSV Mainz 05 as a striker.- Career :...
Achille Emana
Achille Emana Edzimbi , known as Emana, is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Al-Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia, as an attacking midfielder.-Toulouse:...
Geremi Njitap
Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso , known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian footballer who is currently a free agent.-Early career:...
Mohammadou Idrissou
Mohammadou Idrissou is a Cameroonian football player who currently plays for German club Eintracht Frankfurt.- Club career :On the last day of the summer transfer window 2011, he moved to 2...
Paul Le GuenPaul Le Guen
Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade...
Man of the Match: Keisuke Honda Keisuke Honda is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World... (Japan) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : José Cardinal (Portugal Portuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also... ) Bertino Miranda (Portugal Portuguese Football Federation The Portuguese Football Federation is the governing body of football in Portugal. The Portuguese National team is going to win the Euro 2012. It organises the Second and Third Division, the Cup of Portugal, the Portuguese SuperCup, youth levels, women's football, beach soccer, futsal, and also... ) Fourth official: Óscar Ruiz Oscar Ruiz Óscar Julián Ruiz Acosta is a Colombian football referee. He is also a lawyer.He has been a referee since 1 January 1995, and his international debut was on 12 July 1995 . He officiated in the 2002, 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.His decision was criticized in the Netherlands vs... (Colombia Colombian Football Federation The Colombian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Colombia. It was founded in 1924 and has been affiliated to FIFA since 1936... ) Fifth official: Abraham Gonzalez (Colombia Colombian Football Federation The Colombian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Colombia. It was founded in 1924 and has been affiliated to FIFA since 1936... ) |
The win for Japan was their first World Cup win away from home soil, and it was also the first time Cameroon was defeated in a World Cup opening match.
Netherlands vs Japan
The first clear chance of the game came from midfielder Wesley SneijderWesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
when he shot over the bar from a long-range free-kick. When Japan broke up the Netherlands' passing, midfielder Daisuke Matsui
Daisuke Matsui
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Dijon in Ligue 1.-Early years:In 2000, Matsui graduated from and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League.-Kyoto Purple Sanga:...
was positive, helping a move that set Yuto Nagatomo
Yuto Nagatomo
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale.-Japan era:Nagatomo's grandfather Yoshida Tatsuo and Tatsuo's brother Minoru were famed professional bicycle racers who competed in Keirin. Nagatomo started playing soccer in kindergarten. He failed to join the Ehime F.C...
up for a shot that he hit wide. The Netherlands became frustrated, as they struggled to incorporate forward Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
. Towards the end of the first half, Japan had two chances: defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka
Marcus Tulio Tanaka
, formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:...
heading wide and Matsui with a powerful shot at the goalkeeper.
Throughout the second half, Van Persie managed to break free twice. In the 52 minute, as the ball came into the penalty area, the Dutch number 9 moved the ball towards Sneijder, who shot the ball powerfully towards the goal, scoring via a deflection from the goalkeeper, Eiji Kawashima
Eiji Kawashima
is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010....
. Substitute Shunsuke Nakamura
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
later managed to make a cross into the six-yard box, which was cleared by Van Persie. Dutch substitute Eljero Elia
Eljero Elia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the...
, managed to set up Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay
Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of...
with a one-on-one with goalkeeper Kawashima, but Kawashima prevented him from scoring a goal. One minute before the end of the game, Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:...
missed a shot from 10 yard; shooting over the bar. Soon after this, Yuto Nagatomo
Yuto Nagatomo
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale.-Japan era:Nagatomo's grandfather Yoshida Tatsuo and Tatsuo's brother Minoru were famed professional bicycle racers who competed in Keirin. Nagatomo started playing soccer in kindergarten. He failed to join the Ehime F.C...
went down in the penalty area claiming a penalty, from a challenge by Dutch Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
, but the referee turned down his appeals.
The result was the Netherlands' second win in the competition, which meant that they would progress to the knockout stage regardless of the result in their final match.
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | NETHERLANDS: |
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| GK | 1 | Maarten Stekelenburg | ||
| RB | 2 | Gregory van der Wiel Gregory van der Wiel Gregory Kurtley van der Wiel is a Dutch international footballer who plays professionally for Ajax, as a right back.Born in Amsterdam to a father from Curaçao and a white Dutch mother, he is a product of the renowned Ajax youth system, who plays an attacking right back and is known for his speedy... |
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| CB | 3 | John Heitinga John Heitinga John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented... |
||
| CB | 4 | Joris Mathijsen | ||
| LB | 5 | Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni van Bronckhorst Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement.... (c) |
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| CM | 6 | Mark van Bommel Mark van Bommel Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder.... |
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| CM | 8 | Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team.... |
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| RW | 7 | Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team.... |
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| AM | 10 | Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... |
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| LW | 23 | Rafael van der Vaart Rafael van der Vaart Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker... |
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| CF | 9 | Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... |
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| Substitutions: | ||||
| FW | 17 | Eljero Elia Eljero Elia Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the... |
||
| MF | 20 | Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay Ibrahim Afellay is a Dutch professional footballer who plays for FC Barcelona as an attacking midfielder or winger.He has played for the Dutch national youth team and is now part of the senior Dutch national team, which he represented at UEFA Euro 2008 and the 2010 FIFA World Cup, the latter of... |
||
| FW | 21 | Klaas-Jan Huntelaar | ||
| Manager: | ||||
| Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time... |
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JAPAN:
Eiji Kawashima
is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010....
Yuichi Komano
is a Japanese football player. He plays for J. League division 1 side Júbilo Iwata. He is right-footed and mainly plays right full back for the club but he is often employed in the left for Japan national football team.-Playing career:...
Yuji Nakazawa
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle...
Marcus Tulio Tanaka
, formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:...
Yuto Nagatomo
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale.-Japan era:Nagatomo's grandfather Yoshida Tatsuo and Tatsuo's brother Minoru were famed professional bicycle racers who competed in Keirin. Nagatomo started playing soccer in kindergarten. He failed to join the Ehime F.C...
Makoto Hasebe
is a Japanese football player. He is a right-footed midfielder who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg and is currently the captain of the Japan national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.-Urawa Red Diamonds :...
(c)
Yuki Abe
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at...
Yasuhito Endo
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...
Daisuke Matsui
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Dijon in Ligue 1.-Early years:In 2000, Matsui graduated from and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League.-Kyoto Purple Sanga:...
Yoshito Okubo
is a Japanese football player, he is a forward and currently plays for Vissel Kobe.- Career :On January 3, 2009, Vissel announced his transfer to VfL Wolfsburg of the 1. Bundesliga...
Keisuke Honda
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World...
Shunsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Yokohama F. Marinos in J. League Division 1. He is one of the most prominent and successful Asian players to have played in Scotland and on 13 September 2006 became the first Japanese player to score in the UEFA Champions League and the second Asian...
Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:...
Keiji Tamada
is a Japanese football player, who currently plays for the J. League team Nagoya Grampus.-Club career:Tamada entered Kashiwa Reysol from the Narashino High School in 1999. He accomplished the debut by the game against Avispa Fukuoka on March 13, 1999. He experiences the acquisition of the title of...
Takeshi Okada
is a former football player that was head coach of the Japanese national football team between 2007 and 2010.-International career:Okada played 24 games and scored one goal for the Japan national football team between 1980 and 1985.-Coaching career:...
Man of the Match: Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA.... (Netherlands) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Ricardo Casas (Argentina Argentine Football Association The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires... ) Hernan Maidana (Argentina Argentine Football Association The Argentine Football Association is the governing body of football in Argentina. It organises the Argentine football league and the Argentina national football team. It is based in Buenos Aires... ) Fourth official: Martin Hansson Martin Hansson Martin Hansson is a Swedish football referee. Hansson currently resides in Holmsjö. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2001.... (Sweden Swedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA... ) Fifth official: Henrik Andrén (Sweden Swedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA... ) |
Cameroon vs Denmark
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | CAMEROON: |
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| GK | 16 | Souleymanou Hamidou Souleymanou Hamidou Souleymanou Hamidou is a Cameroonian football goalkeeper.-International career:He was a member of the Cameroonian 2006 African Nations Cup team, who exited in the quarter-finals. He was again called up to the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he has so far been the starting... |
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| RB | 19 | Stephane Mbia Stéphane Mbia Stéphane Mbia Etoundi is a Cameroonian football player who plays for French League 1 club Olympique Marseille.-Career:... |
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| CB | 3 | Nicolas N'Koulou Nicolas N'Koulou Nicolas Alexis Julio N'Koulou N'Doubena , commonly referred to as Nicolas N'Koulou, is a Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille.-Club career:... |
||
| CB | 5 | Sébastien Bassong Sébastien Bassong Sébastien Aymar Bassong Nguena is a French-born Cameroonian football defender who plays for Tottenham Hotspur and the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:... |
||
| LB | 2 | Benoît Assou-Ekotto Benoît Assou-Ekotto Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a left back.-RC Lens:... |
||
| RM | 6 | Alexandre Song Alexandre Song Alexandre "Alex" Dimitri Song Billong , more commonly known as Alex Song, is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays for Premier League side Arsenal and the Cameroon national team as a midfielder. He is the cousin of The Panthers central defender Rigobert Song... |
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| CM | 8 | Geremi Njitap Geremi Njitap Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso , known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian footballer who is currently a free agent.-Early career:... |
||
| CM | 18 | Eyong Enoh Eyong Enoh Eyong Tarkang Enoh is a Cameroonian football midfielder who currently plays for Ajax and the Cameroon national team.- Club career :... |
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| LM | 10 | Achille Emana Achille Emana Achille Emana Edzimbi , known as Emana, is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Al-Hilal FC in Saudi Arabia, as an attacking midfielder.-Toulouse:... |
||
| SS | 15 | Pierre Webó Pierre Webó Pierre Achille Webó Kouamo , known as Webó, is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for İstanbul Büyükşehir Belediyespor in Turkey, as a striker.-Early years:... |
||
| CF | 9 | Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy... (c) |
||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 11 | Jean Makoun Jean Makoun Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:... |
||
| FW | 17 | Mohammadou Idrissou Mohammadou Idrissou Mohammadou Idrissou is a Cameroonian football player who currently plays for German club Eintracht Frankfurt.- Club career :On the last day of the summer transfer window 2011, he moved to 2... |
||
| FW | 23 | Vincent Aboubakar Vincent Aboubakar Vincent Aboubakar is a Cameroonian international football player who currently plays for French club Valenciennes in Ligue 1.-Career:... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Paul Le Guen Paul Le Guen Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade... |
||||
DENMARK:
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
Lars Jacobsen
Lars Christian Jacobsen, , and raised in Odense on Funen, is a Danish footballer. He currently plays for F.C. Copenhagen.-Odense Boldklub:Jacobsen started his career with local top-flight team Odense Boldklub...
Simon Kjær
Simon Thorup Kjær is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a centre back for Roma. He was named 2007 Danish under-19 talent of the year and 2009 Danish Talent of the Year, and has played 20 games for the Denmark national football team.-FC Midtjylland:Born in Horsens, Kjær started...
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
Christian Poulsen
Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C...
Martin Jørgensen
Lars Martin Jørgensen , more commonly known as Martin Jørgensen, is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays for Danish club AGF Aarhus. Jørgensen has played 101 matches and scored 12 goals for the Denmark national football team. He is the only player that has represented Denmark...
Dennis Rommedahl
Dennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup...
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
(c)
Jesper Grønkjær
Jesper Grønkjær is a former Danish professional football player. A pacey winger, he was able to play on the right or left wing and as a second striker. Grønkjær played a total 400 league games for a number of European clubs, most notably winning the 1999 Dutch Cup with Ajax Amsterdam and playing...
Nicklas Bendtner
Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker...
Daniel Jensen
Daniel Monberg Jensen is a Danish professional football player who is currently a free agent. He most recently played as a midfielder for Werder Bremen in the German Bundesliga. He has played more than 40 matches and scored three goals for the Danish national team, and represented his country at...
Thomas Kahlenberg
Thomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre...
Jakob Poulsen
Jakob Bendix Uhd Poulsen is a Danish professional football player in the midfielder position, playing for FC Midtjylland. Poulsen started his senior career with Esbjerg fB, before moving to Dutch side SC Heerenveen in 2006. He joined AGF Aarhus in the summer of 2008...
Morten Olsen
Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup...
Man of the Match: Daniel Agger Daniel Agger Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of... (Denmark) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Pablo Fandino (Uruguay) Mauricio Espinosa Mauricio Espinosa Mauricio Espinosa is an Uruguayan football referee who participated in the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He gained publicity during the Round of 16 match between Germany and England, when he ruled that England midfielder Frank Lampard's strike did not cross the goal line, although television coverage... (Uruguay) Fourth official: Peter O'Leary Peter O'Leary Peter O'Leary is a New Zealand Association football referee, previously of Wellington but now residing and working in Whangarei. He operates in the Australian A-League and the New Zealand Football Championship, and his other occupation is as a secondary school biology teacher.-Career:He first took... (New Zealand) Fifth official: Brent Best (New Zealand) |
Denmark vs Japan
Japan opened the scoring in the 17th minute from a direct free kick taken by Keisuke HondaKeisuke Honda
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World...
– only the second goal scored from a free kick in the tournament. Honda, standing to Danish keeper Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Sørensen
Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa....
's left, kicked the ball with great force; Sørensen initially moved to his left, and as the ball sailed past the wall, he shifted direction, but could not recover in time to make the save. Japan's second goal came thirteen minutes later, also from a direct free kick, this time by Yasuhito Endō
Yasuhito Endo
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...
. Standing outside the penalty area directly in front of the Danish goal, he curled the ball around the wall. Sørensen had been standing on the right side of his goal and could not move to his left fast enough. Endō almost scored from yet another free kick early in the second half. This time, Sørensen appeared to have difficulty judging the path of the ball, and was only able to palm it away at the last second, where it caromed off the goalpost.
Denmark needed to win this game in order to advance and increased their attacks accordingly. Late in the second half, Christian Eriksen
Christian Eriksen
Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax...
put his shot over the goal and Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen
Søren Larsen is a Danish professional football striker who is currently playing for Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus.-Biography:Larsen started his professional career at Danish club Køge Boldklub in Køge, Denmark. In 2001, he was sold to multiple Danish championship winners Brøndby IF in the...
hit the goalpost. They were finally able to score in the 82nd minute. When Makoto Hasebe
Makoto Hasebe
is a Japanese football player. He is a right-footed midfielder who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg and is currently the captain of the Japan national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.-Urawa Red Diamonds :...
was adjudged to have fouled Daniel Agger
Daniel Agger
Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of...
inside the penalty area, Denmark were awarded a penalty kick. Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson
Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior....
took the shot, which was saved by Eiji Kawashima
Eiji Kawashima
is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010....
; the goalkeeper, however, was unable to control the rebound, which fell to Tomasson, and he was able to put it in the goal. Japan scored their final goal in the 87th minute. Honda dribbled into the penalty area, forcing Sørensen to attempt to block a potential shot, but Honda passed it to substitute Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:...
, who merely had to put the ball into an empty net.
The victory was Japan's second World Cup tournament victory on foreign soil, and only their second against a European team. Japan finished group play in second place with six points, and advanced to the knockout round for the second time in their history, and the first time on foreign soil. Denmark ended in third with three points. This was the first time Denmark failed to get past the group stage in the World Cup.
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | DENMARK: |
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| GK | 1 | Thomas Sørensen Thomas Sørensen Thomas Løvendahl Sørensen is a Danish professional football goalkeeper, who plays for Premier League club Stoke City. He has previously represented Premiership teams Sunderland and Aston Villa.... |
||
| RB | 6 | Lars Jacobsen Lars Jacobsen Lars Christian Jacobsen, , and raised in Odense on Funen, is a Danish footballer. He currently plays for F.C. Copenhagen.-Odense Boldklub:Jacobsen started his career with local top-flight team Odense Boldklub... |
||
| CB | 4 | Daniel Agger Daniel Agger Daniel Munthe Agger is a Danish footballer who plays for Liverpool and the Denmark national football team. He started his senior career at Danish club Brøndby IF in July 2004, with whom he won the 2005 Danish Superliga championship. The Liverpool fans have created a song for him to the tune of... |
||
| CB | 13 | Per Krøldrup Per Krøldrup Per Billeskov Krøldrup is a Danish professional football player who plays as a central defender for Fiorentina in the Serie A championship... |
||
| LB | 15 | Simon Poulsen | ||
| DM | 2 | Christian Poulsen Christian Poulsen Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen is a Danish footballer who plays for Evian in Ligue 1. He has played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga championship with F.C... |
||
| CM | 10 | Martin Jørgensen Martin Jørgensen Lars Martin Jørgensen , more commonly known as Martin Jørgensen, is a Danish professional football player, who currently plays for Danish club AGF Aarhus. Jørgensen has played 101 matches and scored 12 goals for the Denmark national football team. He is the only player that has represented Denmark... |
||
| CM | 12 | Thomas Kahlenberg Thomas Kahlenberg Thomas Kahlenberg is a Danish footballer, who plays as an attacking midfielder for German team Wolfsburg. He started his career with Brøndby IF, winning two Danish Superliga championship, and played four seasons at French club AJ Auxerre... |
||
| AM | 9 | Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson is a retired Danish footballer and assistant manager at the Dutch football club SBV Excelsior.... (c) |
||
| AM | 19 | Dennis Rommedahl Dennis Rommedahl Dennis Rommedahl is a Danish footballer, who currently plays as a right winger for Brøndby IF. He has played 112 matches and scored 21 goals for the Danish national side. Rommedahl was selected for the Danish squads at the 2002 World Cup, Euro 2004 and the 2010 World Cup... |
||
| CF | 11 | Nicklas Bendtner Nicklas Bendtner Nicklas Bendtner , is a Danish international footballer who plays for Sunderland on loan from Arsenal as a striker... |
||
| Substitutions: | ||||
| MF | 14 | Jakob Poulsen Jakob Poulsen Jakob Bendix Uhd Poulsen is a Danish professional football player in the midfielder position, playing for FC Midtjylland. Poulsen started his senior career with Esbjerg fB, before moving to Dutch side SC Heerenveen in 2006. He joined AGF Aarhus in the summer of 2008... |
||
| FW | 18 | Søren Larsen Søren Larsen Søren Larsen is a Danish professional football striker who is currently playing for Danish Superliga side AGF Aarhus.-Biography:Larsen started his professional career at Danish club Køge Boldklub in Køge, Denmark. In 2001, he was sold to multiple Danish championship winners Brøndby IF in the... |
||
| MF | 21 | Christian Eriksen Christian Eriksen Christian Dannemann Eriksen is a Danish professional football player, currently playing as an attacking midfielder for Dutch side Ajax... |
||
| Manager: | ||||
| Morten Olsen Morten Olsen Morten Per Olsen is a Danish football manager and former football player. He has been the head coach of the Danish national team since 2000, guiding Denmark to the 2002 FIFA World Cup, 2004 European Championship and 2010 FIFA World Cup... |
||||
JAPAN:
Eiji Kawashima
is a Japanese goalkeeper currently playing for Lierse S.K..-Career:During his time at Omiya, Kawashima went overseas to train with Serie A club Parma, and also trained in Italy in January 2010....
Yuichi Komano
is a Japanese football player. He plays for J. League division 1 side Júbilo Iwata. He is right-footed and mainly plays right full back for the club but he is often employed in the left for Japan national football team.-Playing career:...
Yuji Nakazawa
is a Japanese football player who currently plays for J. League side Yokohama F. Marinos. He is a centre back. He is captain of both Yokohama F. Marinos and the Japan national football team. His nickname is "Bomber" because of his distinctive hairstyle...
Marcus Tulio Tanaka
, formerly name ; Marcus Túlio Lyuji Murzani Tanaka is a Brazilian-born Japanese footballer who plays for the J. League Division 1 club Nagoya Grampus.-Career:...
Yuto Nagatomo
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Serie A club Internazionale.-Japan era:Nagatomo's grandfather Yoshida Tatsuo and Tatsuo's brother Minoru were famed professional bicycle racers who competed in Keirin. Nagatomo started playing soccer in kindergarten. He failed to join the Ehime F.C...
Yuki Abe
is a Japanese footballer who plays for Leicester City and the Japanese national team as a midfielder.-JEF United Ichihara:Born in Ichikawa, Chiba, Abe, then a member of the JEF United Ichihara youth side, made his debut with the senior club at the age of 16 years and 333 days on 5 August 1998, at...
Daisuke Matsui
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Dijon in Ligue 1.-Early years:In 2000, Matsui graduated from and began his professional career with Kyoto Purple Sanga of the J. League.-Kyoto Purple Sanga:...
Yasuhito Endo
is a Japanese footballer, who currently plays for the J. League team Gamba Osaka. His older brother Akihiro, who retired in 2008, was also a professional footballer.-Career:...
Makoto Hasebe
is a Japanese football player. He is a right-footed midfielder who currently plays for VfL Wolfsburg and is currently the captain of the Japan national football team in the 2010 FIFA World Cup.-Urawa Red Diamonds :...
(c)
Yoshito Okubo
is a Japanese football player, he is a forward and currently plays for Vissel Kobe.- Career :On January 3, 2009, Vissel announced his transfer to VfL Wolfsburg of the 1. Bundesliga...
Keisuke Honda
is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World...
Shinji Okazaki
Shinji Okazaki is a Japanese football player currently playing for VfB Stuttgart of the German Bundesliga.-Career:...
Yasuyuki Konno
is a Japanese football player who plays for F.C. Tokyo in Japan's professional J. League.He was part of the Japanese 2004 Olympic football team, which finished fourth in group B, below group winners Paraguay, Italy and Ghana....
Junichi Inamoto
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a midfielder for Kawasaki Frontale.-Playing career:Inamoto played for Japanese club Gamba Osaka during his last year of high school, signing with the club in 1998. He was then one of many high profile transfers of Asian players to Europe, signing with Arsenal...
Takeshi Okada
is a former football player that was head coach of the Japanese national football team between 2007 and 2010.-International career:Okada played 24 games and scored one goal for the Japan national football team between 1980 and 1985.-Coaching career:...
Man of the Match: Keisuke Honda Keisuke Honda is a Japanese footballer who currently plays for Russian CSKA Moscow and the Japan national football team. His current position is as a deep-lying playmaker, but he can equally play as an attacking midfielder or second striker. He is also a very skilled free kick taker scoring one in the FIFA World... (Japan) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Célestin Ntagungira (Rwanda) Enock Molefe (South Africa South African Football Association The South African Football Association or SAFA is the governing body of football in South Africa.-History:The South African Football Association was founded on 8 December, 1991, the culmination of a long unity process that was to rid the sport in South Africa of all its past racial division.Four... ) Fourth official: Martin Hansson Martin Hansson Martin Hansson is a Swedish football referee. Hansson currently resides in Holmsjö. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 2001.... (Sweden Swedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA... ) Fifth official: Henrik Andrén (Sweden Swedish Football Association The Swedish Football Association is the governing body of football in Sweden. It organises the football leagues — Allsvenskan for men and Damallsvenskan for women — and the men's and women's national teams. It is based in Solna and is a founding member of both FIFA and UEFA... ) |
Cameroon vs Netherlands
| style="font-size: 90%" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"> | CAMEROON: |
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| GK | 16 | Souleymanou Hamidou Souleymanou Hamidou Souleymanou Hamidou is a Cameroonian football goalkeeper.-International career:He was a member of the Cameroonian 2006 African Nations Cup team, who exited in the quarter-finals. He was again called up to the Cameroon squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, where he has so far been the starting... |
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| RB | 8 | Geremi Njitap Geremi Njitap Geremi Sorele Njitap Fotso , known simply as Geremi, is a Cameroonian footballer who is currently a free agent.-Early career:... |
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| CB | 19 | Stephane Mbia Stéphane Mbia Stéphane Mbia Etoundi is a Cameroonian football player who plays for French League 1 club Olympique Marseille.-Career:... |
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| CB | 3 | Nicolas N'Koulou Nicolas N'Koulou Nicolas Alexis Julio N'Koulou N'Doubena , commonly referred to as Nicolas N'Koulou, is a Cameroonian footballer currently playing for Ligue 1 side Olympique de Marseille.-Club career:... |
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| LB | 2 | Benoît Assou-Ekotto Benoît Assou-Ekotto Benoît Pierre David Assou-Ekotto is a French-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur as a left back.-RC Lens:... |
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| RM | 11 | Jean Makoun Jean Makoun Jean II Makoun is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Greek Superleague club Olympiacos on loan from Aston Villa. He also plays in the Cameroon national football team.-Early career:... |
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| CM | 14 | Aurelien Chedjou Aurélien Chedjou Aurélien Bayard Chedjou Fongang is a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays for Lille and the Cameroon national team.On 21 October 2010, he scored the only goal against Levski Sofia after a Stéphane Dumont assist to help his team to a 1:0 win in a UEFA Europa League game.-External links:... |
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| CM | 7 | Landry N'Guémo Landry N'Guémo Landry Joel Tsafack N'Guémo is a Cameroonian footballer who currently plays as a central midfielder for French club Girondins de Bordeaux in Ligue 1.-Early career:... |
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| LM | 12 | Gaëtan Bong Gaëtan Bong Gaetan Bong in Sakbayeme, Cameroon is a French-Cameroonian football defender. He currently plays for Valenciennes FC.-Career:... |
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| CF | 9 | Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Samuel Eto'o Fils is a Cameroonian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Russian team Anzhi Makhachkala. He is also the current captain of the Cameroon national team.Eto'o trained at Kadji Sports Academy... (c) |
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| CF | 13 | Eric Choupo-Moting Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting Jean-Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is a German-born Cameroonian footballer who plays for FSV Mainz 05 as a striker.- Career :... |
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| FW | 23 | Vincent Aboubakar Vincent Aboubakar Vincent Aboubakar is a Cameroonian international football player who currently plays for French club Valenciennes in Ligue 1.-Career:... |
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| FW | 17 | Mohammadou Idrissou Mohammadou Idrissou Mohammadou Idrissou is a Cameroonian football player who currently plays for German club Eintracht Frankfurt.- Club career :On the last day of the summer transfer window 2011, he moved to 2... |
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| DF | 4 | Rigobert Song Rigobert Song Rigobert Song Bahanag is a former Cameroonian footballer who is currently a main consultant for the famous sports channel 'Orange sports'. Although receiving many propositions from top clubs, Song declined. Song played for Kosovo super league club KF Drenica, when his contract after season 2010/12... |
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| Manager: | ||||
| Paul Le Guen Paul Le Guen Paul Le Guen is a French football manager and former player. He was recently confirmed as new manager of the Oman national football team.Le Guen had a successful managerial career in France, most notably leading Olympique Lyonnais to three consecutive Ligue 1 titles. He has also managed Stade... |
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NETHERLANDS:
Khalid Boulahrouz
Khalid Boulahrouz is a Dutch footballer of Berber Moroccan Rif descent, who plays for the Netherlands and VfB Stuttgart. His nickname is "Khalid the Cannibal" for his ability to "eat up" his opposition....
John Heitinga
John Gijsbert Alan "Johnny" Heitinga is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defender for English Premier League club Everton and the Dutch national team. A product of Jong Ajax, he previously played for AFC Ajax and Atlético Madrid, before signing for Everton in 2009. Heitinga previously represented...
Giovanni van Bronckhorst
Giovanni Christiaan van Bronckhorst OON , known as Gio in Spain, is a retired Dutch footballer of Moluccan descent who served as the captain of the Dutch national team from August 2008 until his retirement....
(c)
Mark van Bommel
Mark Peter Gertruda Andreas van Bommel is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Milan and captains the Netherlands national team as a midfielder....
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
Dirk Kuyt
Dirk Kuyt is a Dutch footballer who plays for English club Liverpool. He started his career as a striker, but he has been converted into a winger and plays the position for both Liverpool and the Netherlands national team....
Wesley Sneijder
Wesley Sneijder is a Dutch footballer playing as an attacking midfielder for Internazionale. He was named UEFA midfielder of the season as well as one of the three best midfielders in the world for 2010 by FIFA....
Rafael van der Vaart
Rafael Ferdinand van der Vaart is a Dutch footballer who plays for English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and the Dutch national team. His preferred position is as an attacking midfielder; he can, however, also operate in other positions, such as second striker...
Robin van Persie
Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011...
Eljero Elia
Eljero George Rinaldo Elia is a Dutch footballer who currently plays for Italian Serie A club Juventus and the Dutch national team. He scored on his debut for the Dutch national team in September 2009 and participated at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.-ADO Den Haag:Before excelling in the...
Arjen Robben
Arjen Robben is a Dutch footballer who plays for the German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich. Though often classified as a forward, he usually plays behind the forwards as a winger, and he is also known for his dribbling skills...
Bert van Marwijk
Bert van Marwijk OON is the coach of the Netherlands national football team. He also played for Go Ahead Eagles, AZ, MVV, Fortuna Sittard, and other clubs, as well as for the Dutch national team. In 1982, he began his transition into coaching, retiring as a player in 1988 and becoming a full time...
Man of the Match: Robin van Persie Robin van Persie Robin van Persie is a Dutch footballer who plays as a striker for Arsenal and the Dutch national team. He is a youth product of Feyenoord. Having joined Arsenal in 2004, Van Persie became the club captain on 16 August 2011... (Netherlands) Assistant referees Assistant referee (association football) In association football, an assistant referee is one of several officials who assist the referee in controlling a match. Two officials, traditionally known as linesmen , stand on the touchlines, while a fourth official assists administrative or other match related tasks as directed by the referee... : Patricio Basualto (Chile) Francisco Mondria (Chile) Fourth official: Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia Saudi Arabia Football Federation The Saudi Arabia Football Federation is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956, its responsibilities include administration of club competitions and national teams.... ) Fifth official: Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates Football Association The United Arab Emirates Football Association is the governing body of football in the United Arab Emirates.-Domestic Competitions:*UAE Premier League*UAE Football League Division 1*UAE Football League Division 2*UAE Super Cup*UAE Vice Presidents Cup... ) |