₦airaland Forum

Sneijder impressed by strength in depth

Wesley Sneijder believes Holland's strength in depth could be one of their keys to success at this summer's FIFA World Cup™.

The Dutch opened their campaign in South Africa yesterday with a 2-0 victory over Denmark in Johannesburg. It was not the most convincing of performances from the Oranje, who had to rely on a Daniel Agger own goal to break the deadlock seconds after the second half began.

Substitute Eljero Elia, who looked lively from the moment he was introduced, then set up the second five minutes from full-time to wrap up the win. And Sneijder thought the result reflected the mark of a good team - one that is able to win under any circumstances.

"Of course we didn't play that well today, but we won, 2-0," he said. "I think the win is the most important thing. Let's not forget that these Danes in the first half did an excellent job because they studied us very thoroughly. But we improved a lot in the second half and got the result. So we are satisfied."

The Inter Milan midfielder also hailed the quality of players Bert van Marwijk's side had on the bench, with the injured Arjen Robben and the likes of Klaas Jan Huntelaar not even featuring at Soccer City.

He added: "I think in the second half we did very well, by running, beating players and showing our creativity. Also on the bench we have some fantastic players, who can come in and really make the difference. They have creativity and good ability. At some point in the second half, we saw that. We had a player that came on and made a difference."

Denmark goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen felt his side showed what they were capable off against a formidable Dutch side. "They're a good team, but we made them not as good as what people thought they were," he said.

The Stoke goalkeeper also predicted that their fellow Europeans, who are amongst the pre-tournament favourites, had a good chance of success in South Africa.

He added: "I don't think they play badly. I'm sure they'll go far. They have the players and you can see the quality they have coming off the bench as well. They have a good squad, so they should be among the contenders."

ok

Cameroun worst! i can't say that now . . .

we are not sure , anything could happen in Football,

Predos

Cameroun 1 vs Japan 1

Van persie is sh.it , damn!

@Tipster

Thanks for your accurate prediction. . . Dutch till i die.

We miss Robben in that match hope he plays next game. . .

@Eastbay

where u dey guy?

mafifle:
maradona happy over nigerian defeat?

so he should be crying abi?

Honestly , fine display against a well attacking side , let me bra-ibra-ca-ka da-bra -ka-rak-kaa-ko-jo! second round! bye bye

such is life!

Another hard-knock game

Predos

Nigeria 1 vs Greece 1 or 2

Please! Super eagles lost period!

That Haruna can't play in Chelsea , that style of play will land him a RFB in Man utd , or Arsenal to bench sagna , he can win balls but not a good midfielder to me. . . Hell no! hes not Makalele oooooooo . .

Netherlands-Denmark

Referee Stephane LANNOY (FRA)

Not for the first time at a major tournament, the Netherlands go into the 2010 FIFA World Cup™ among the favourites, though the Oranje have to kick off their Group E campaign against a tough-looking Denmark side on 14 June. Having so often boasted a world-class squad, only to fail to fulfil their potential due to internal squabbles or over-confidence, will the Dutch contingent get it right this time?


The Netherlands may have the edge on Denmark in terms of big-name performers, but the two sides’ head-to-head record makes for interesting reading. The pair boast two wins apiece from five competitive matches, the Dutch scoring ten goals to the Danes’ nine, while each tasted success in the 1988 and 1992 editions of the UEFA European Championship respectively.

The teams also share a lengthy list of injury concerns, with Danish Dynamite boss Morten Olsen, himself has laid low by flu for several days, having to do without key striker Nicklas Bendtner (groin strain) and facing doubts over keeper Thomas Sorensen (elbow) and defenders Simon Kjaer (knee) and Patrick Mtiliga (thigh). His Dutch opposite number Bert van Marwijk will be unable to call on Bayern winger Arjen Robben, who has a hamstring injury, although he does have a top-class replacement available in Real Madrid midfielder Rafael van der Vaart.

On top of his walking wounded, Danish coach Olsen will also be concerned about 1-0 warm-up defeats by Australia and host nation South Africa on June 1 and June 4 respectively, though the Danes did sink Senegal 2-0 on May 27. The Dutch, for their part, have not been beaten since a September 2008 friendly reverse against the Socceroos, though should hold few surprises for their opponents. Indeed, five Denmark players ply their trade in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie and another four share a dressing room with Dutch players at their Premier League clubs.

Players to watch
Daniel Agger v Robin van Persie

The two players experienced mixed fortunes in English football this campaign, with Daniel Agger a solid presence for Liverpool despite the Reds ending a disappointing season down in seventh spot. Meanwhile, Van Persie’s lengthy injury absence was undoubtedly a key factor in Arsenal’s inability to finish higher than third.

It was the Gunners who won the clubs’ head-to-head meetings in 2009/10, 2-1 at Anfield and 1-0 at the Emirates Stadium, though Van Persie missed both of those games. More relevant, therefore, is the fact that the quicksilver Dutch striker scored the last time the two players faced off, in a 1-1 draw in December 2008.

The stat
19 – Van Marwijk’s side come into South Africa 2010 on the back of a record unbeaten run of 19 games, beating their previous mark of 17 set between 2001 and 2003.

What they said
“We have a special kind of arrogance that is one of our strengths. But we shouldn’t let it go too far, otherwise it can become a handicap and we become careless. And when arrogance leads you try to humiliate the opposition, they’ll definitely kick back against it. Right from day one I’ve been trying to get that through to the players,” Bert van Marwijk, Netherlands coach.

“I don’t regard the Netherlands as among the World Cup favourites. They often start off strongly and then suddenly lose a crucial game and crash out. That can always happen when they play a well-organised side, which this time could be Denmark. They are missing their most in-form player, Arjen Robben, and they’re not as strong at the back (as they are going forward),” Dennis Rommedahl, Denmark winger.

Voice of the fans
“The Elftal will finally win the World Cup I have been longing for since 1978, when at the age of 14 I was mesmerised by the Dutch and their dazzling football. Since then every tournament in which the Oranje played has been an emotional rollercoaster of beautiful football and fatal arrogance. But this time it will be different. Come on the Netherlands and win the cup!” FIFA.com User oranjepiet.

The question
Can the outsiders rediscover the spirit of Danish Dynamite and bring the Netherlands’ lengthy unbeaten run to an end? Or will Rommedahl’s dismissal of the Dutch’s chances come back to haunt him?

It is Finish!

Common Dutch !

@ Eastbay

where are you bro?

Thats the group of life not death boy!

I love Nigerians . . . consoling themselves with several predictions , polls increasing in favor of the Feeble eagles , wow !

You guys are in Soup believe me !

Argentina 3 Nigeria 1

tevez scoring first.

ROy ? thats Illusion

Domenut is a big fool  

'' Winning Trophy in Arsenal is not compulsory '' Joe cole from South Africa. . .

Source ''DayoKanu''

My team is ready ! Rooney! , Messi ! , Van persie ! y'all dead believe me

mama-gee:
[color=deeppink]Cameroun all the way![/color]

Are you a cameruinian ?

Wubbish!

''Teddy Sheringham considering Arsenal move''

Joey to Captain Arsenal ;

Source: The moon.

I'm watching Samurai girl . . . nice camera! HD !

Joey should go jo! . . . Schwein has got pace , would be a good replacement , but not for 40 shittillion

I won't register now , waiting on Ballack , Drogba , Nani , Essien and Robben . . .

[center] Robben set to miss Dutch opener - coach
[/center]
Netherlands winger Arjen Robben is making progress in his recovery from a hamstring injury but is not expected to feature for the Dutch in their opening World Cup match against Denmark on June 14, coach Bert van Marwijk said.

In a statement the Dutch football association (KNVB) on Tuesday said that after deliberation between the medical staff, Robben and physiotherapist Dick van Toorn, the winger might travel to South Africa this weekend to join the squad.

"I don't expect him to be ready for Denmark," Van Marwijk told a news conference on Tuesday.

"Since the Champions League final (May 22) he has joined two and a half training sessions, one full and played one half so we have to be patient with him.

"Our goal is to get him ready so that he can be valuable for us further on in the tournament."

Robben sustained a hairline crack in his left hamstring during the final minutes of the 6-1 thrashing of Hungary in which he scored twice on Saturday.

Group E promises to be one of the tightest in the tournament, bringing together European duo Denmark and the Netherlands, Asian contenders Japan, the first country to book their ticket to South Africa 2010, and an African team returning to their competitive best in Cameroon.

Flawless during the qualifiers and allying sturdiness with their traditional stylish play, the Oranje lie third in the FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking and are suitably ambitious. However, Denmark, Cameroon and Japan are all dangerous opponents boasting plenty of major finals knowhow.

No African team boast more FIFA World Cup™ experience than the Indomitable Lions, and coach Paul Le Guen has turned the side’s fortunes around as they gear up for their sixth appearance on the global stage. Samuel Eto’o and Co have rediscovered their confidence and love nothing better than testing themselves in high-profile events. As for Morten Olsen’s Denmark, the Nordic aspirants reached at least as far as the Round of 16 on each of their three previous tilts in 1986, 1998 and 2002, while Japan will travel to South Africa on the back of a solid qualifying campaign.

The favourites
[b]Netherlands:[/b] Eight games, eight wins was the tally achieved by Bert van Marwijk’s troops in Group 9 of the European Zone, the former Feyenoord coach having yet to drop a point in a competitive match. Difficult to break down at the back and blessed with enviable attacking talents, the Dutch have made no secret of ther intention to return home with the Trophy. “We have a mission: to be champions of the world,” assistant coach Frank de Boer told FIFA.com, and the team are unlikely to be haunted by their failed campaign in 2006 or the disappointment of their UEFA EURO 2008 bid. The core of the line-up has changed and so have the methods behind the scenes, but the philosophy remains familiar.

Cameroon: The Indomitable Lions have played more games and notched up more points than any other African side at a FIFA World Cup finals. Le Guen looks to have all the right tools to do that proud tradition justice, with deadly marksman Eto'o the focal point of a team also featuring the likes of Jean II Makoun, Achille Emana and Alexandre Song. Their strong finish in qualifying served as a timely reminder that Cameroon remain a powerhouse of the African continent.

The outsiders
Denmark: With the wily Olsen at the helm, Denmark have worked their way back to world football’s top table. Absent in 2006 before missing out on UEFA EURO 2008 as well, they sewed up their fourth finals participation with surprising ease, finishing first in a section that also contained Portugal and Sweden. Jon Dahl Tomasson and his colleagues have been reaping the benefits of stability, not to mention the experience gained by key players in some of Europe’s leading leagues.

Japan: Back in the Japan dugout after leading the side at France 1998, Takeshi Okada had to rebuild the side and bring through a new generation of players. Through to the main event for the fourth time, the Samurai Blue travel as winners of three of the last five editions of the AFC Asian Cup, and they proved in qualifying that they can harbour serious hopes of progression to the Round of 16. Eliminated after the group stage in 2006, Japan will look to two players tasting success in Europe to improve on that showing in South Africa: Shunsuke Nakamura and youngster Keisuke Honda.

The players to watch
Arjen Robben (NED), Dirk Kuyt (NED), Nicklas Bendtner (DEN), Jon Dahl Tomasson (DEN), Shunsuke Nakamura (JPN), Keisuke Honda (JPN), Samuel Eto'o (CMR), Jean II Makoun (CMR), Alexandre Song (CMR)

The crunch match
On 24 June, Cape Town will host the meeting between Cameroon and the Netherlands, a game which already looks set to be crucial on the road to the Round of 16.

A look back
Denmark-Netherlands, 22 June 1992: This semi-final contest at the 1992 UEFA European Championship pitted surprise late entrants Denmark against Marco van Basten and the holders in Gothenburg. The Oranje were heavy favourites to prevail but quickly found themselves struggling and needed Frank Rijkaard’s 86th-minute leveller to take the match into extra time. The scoreline remained locked at 2-2 and the victors had to be decided on penalties, with Denmark keeping their cool to bury every effort and Van Basten failing for the champions. That sent the Scandinavian side through to the showpiece match, where they famously came out on top.

Did you know?
Olsen will be celebrating ten years in charge of the national side next summer. None of his 31 counterparts can claim more experience than that, and Frenchman Le Guen only took over the Cameroon job in July this year.

The stat
76 – Between them, the four teams in Group E have contested 76 FIFA World Cup finals matches. The Netherlands have the most impressive pedigree of all thanks to their 36 outings.

Seriously , i'm enjoying those cool words, vegetable mod , common, wowee dowee

That Quote was an Illusion

If we get Toure or Hamsik or Martinez we can loan mikel out or sell him . . .

@nateevs

whats up with VDV? that guy is Fantastic , watch out!