2010 FIFA World Cup Group E
Introduction '''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.Cameroon was the first team to be eliminated in the World Cup, following their 2–1 defeat by Denmark on 19 June 2010.
Standings * Netherlands advanced to play Slovakia (runner-up of Group F) in the round of 16. * Japan advanced to play Paraguay (winner of Group F) in the round of 16.
Matches ''All times local (UTC+2)''===Netherlands vs Denmark=== GK '''1''' Maarten StekelenburgRB '''2''' Gregory van der WielCB '''3''' John HeitingaCB '''4''' Joris MathijsenLB '''5''' Giovanni van Bronckhorst (c)CM '''6''' Mark van BommelCM '''8''' Nigel de Jong    RW '''7''' Dirk KuytAM '''10'''Wesley SneijderLW '''23'''Rafael van der Vaart   CF '''9''' Robin van Persie    '''Substitutions:'''FW '''17'''Eljero Elia   MF '''20'''Ibrahim Afellay   MF '''14'''Demy de Zeeuw   '''Manager:'''Bert van Marwijk300px GK '''1''' Thomas SørensenRB '''6''' Lars JacobsenCB '''4''' Daniel AggerCB '''3''' Simon Kjær  LB '''15'''Simon PoulsenRM '''20'''Thomas Enevoldsen   CM '''2''' Christian PoulsenCM '''12'''Thomas Kahlenberg   LM '''10'''Martin Jørgensen (c)SS '''19'''Dennis RommedahlCF '''11'''Nicklas Bendtner   '''Substitutions:'''MF '''8''' Jesper Grønkjær   FW '''17'''Mikkel Beckmann   MF '''21'''Christian Eriksen   '''Manager:'''Morten OlsenNetherlands vs Denmark'''Man of the Match:'''Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)'''Assistant referees:'''Eric Dansault (France)Laurent Ugo (France)'''Fourth official:'''Roberto Rosetti (Italy)'''Fifth official:'''Paolo Calcagno (Italy)===Japan vs Cameroon=== GK '''21'''Eiji KawashimaRB '''5''' Yuto NagatomoCB '''22'''Yuji NakazawaCB '''4''' Marcus Tulio TanakaLB '''3''' Yūichi KomanoDM '''2''' Yuki Abe  RM '''8''' Daisuke Matsui   CM '''18'''Keisuke HondaCM '''17'''Makoto Hasebe (c)   LM '''7''' Yasuhito EndōCF '''16'''Yoshito Ōkubo   '''Substitutions:'''FW '''9''' Shinji Okazaki   FW '''12'''Kisho Yano   MF '''20'''Junichi Inamoto   '''Manager:'''Takeshi Okada300px GK '''16'''Souleymanou HamidouRB '''19'''Stéphane MbiaCB '''3''' Nicolas N'Koulou  CB '''5''' Sébastien BassongLB '''2''' Benoît Assou-EkottoRM '''21'''Joël Matip   CM '''11'''Jean Makoun   LM '''18'''Eyong EnohRW '''9''' Samuel Eto'o (c)LW '''13'''Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting   CF '''15'''Pierre Webó'''Substitutions:'''MF '''10'''Achille Emana   MF '''8''' Geremi   FW '''17'''Mohammadou Idrissou   '''Manager:''' Paul Le Guen'''Man of the Match:'''Keisuke Honda (Japan)'''Assistant referees:'''José Cardinal (Portugal)Bertino Miranda (Portugal)'''Fourth official:'''Óscar Ruiz (Colombia)'''Fifth official:'''Abraham González (Colombia)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 Sneijder 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 ; 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 if they did not lose their last match or Cameroon did not defeat Denmark. Cameroon would later on lose to Denmark, which meant that the Dutch were through and Cameroon were out after two matches. GK '''1''' Maarten StekelenburgRB '''2''' Gregory van der Wiel  CB '''3''' John HeitingaCB '''4''' Joris MathijsenLB '''5''' Giovanni van Bronckhorst (c)CM '''6''' Mark van BommelCM '''8''' Nigel de JongRW '''7''' Dirk KuytAM '''10'''Wesley Sneijder   LW '''23'''Rafael van der Vaart   CF '''9''' Robin van Persie   '''Substitutions:'''FW '''17'''Eljero Elia   MF '''20'''Ibrahim Afellay   FW '''21'''Klaas-Jan Huntelaar   '''Manager:'''Bert van Marwijk300px GK '''21'''Eiji KawashimaRB '''3''' Yūichi KomanoCB '''22'''Yuji NakazawaCB '''4''' Marcus Tulio TanakaLB '''5''' Yuto NagatomoDM '''17'''Makoto Hasebe (c)   CM '''2''' Yuki AbeCM '''7''' Yasuhito EndōRW '''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'''Man of the Match:'''Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)'''Assistant referees:'''Ricardo Casas (Argentina)Hernán Maidana (Argentina)'''Fourth official:'''Martin Hansson (Sweden)'''Fifth official:'''Henrik Andrén (Sweden)===Cameroon vs Denmark=== GK '''16'''Souleymanou HamidouRB '''19'''Stéphane Mbia  CB '''3''' Nicolas N'KoulouCB '''5''' Sébastien Bassong    LB '''2''' Benoît Assou-EkottoCM '''8''' GeremiCM '''18'''Eyong Enoh  RW '''6''' Alex SongLW '''10'''Achille EmanaSS '''15'''Pierre Webó   CF '''9''' Samuel Eto'o (c)'''Substitutions:'''MF '''11'''Jean Makoun   FW '''17'''Mohammadou Idrissou   FW '''23'''Vincent Aboubakar   '''Manager:''' Paul Le Guen300px GK '''1''' Thomas Sørensen  RB '''6''' Lars JacobsenCB '''3''' Simon Kjær  CB '''4''' Daniel AggerLB '''15'''Simon PoulsenCM '''2''' Christian PoulsenCM '''10'''Martin Jørgensen   RW '''19'''Dennis RommedahlAM '''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'''Man of the Match:'''Daniel Agger (Denmark)'''Assistant referees:'''Pablo Fandino (Uruguay)Mauricio Espinosa (Uruguay)'''Fourth official:'''Peter O'Leary (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 Honda – 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. GK '''1''' Thomas SørensenRB '''6''' Lars JacobsenCB '''4''' Daniel AggerCB '''13'''Per Krøldrup    LB '''15'''Simon PoulsenDM '''2''' Christian Poulsen  CM '''10'''Martin Jørgensen   CM '''12'''Thomas Kahlenberg   AM '''9''' Jon Dahl Tomasson (c)AM '''19'''Dennis RommedahlCF '''11'''Nicklas Bendtner  '''Substitutions:'''MF '''14'''Jakob Poulsen   FW '''18'''Søren Larsen   MF '''21'''Christian Eriksen   '''Manager:'''Morten Olsen300px GK '''21'''Eiji KawashimaRB '''3''' Yūichi KomanoCB '''22'''Yuji NakazawaCB '''4''' Marcus Tulio TanakaLB '''5''' Yuto Nagatomo  DM '''2''' Yuki AbeCM '''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'''Man of the Match:'''Keisuke Honda (Japan)'''Assistant referees:'''Célestin Ntagungira (Rwanda)Enock Molefe (South Africa)'''Fourth official:'''Martin Hansson (Sweden)'''Fifth official:'''Henrik Andrén (Sweden)===Cameroon vs Netherlands=== GK '''16'''Souleymanou HamidouRB '''8''' GeremiCB '''19'''Stéphane Mbia  CB '''3''' Nicolas N'Koulou    LB '''2''' Benoît Assou-EkottoCM '''14'''Aurélien ChedjouCM '''7''' Landry N'GuémoRW '''11'''Jean MakounLW '''12'''Gaëtan Bong   CF '''9''' Samuel Eto'o (c)CF '''13'''Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting   '''Substitutions:'''FW '''23'''Vincent Aboubakar   FW '''17'''Mohammadou Idrissou   DF '''4''' Rigobert Song   '''Manager:''' Paul Le Guen300px GK '''1''' Maarten StekelenburgRB '''12'''Khalid BoulahrouzCB '''3''' John HeitingaCB '''4''' Joris MathijsenLB '''5''' Giovanni van Bronckhorst (c)  CM '''6''' Mark van BommelCM '''8''' Nigel de JongRW '''7''' Dirk Kuyt    AM '''10'''Wesley SneijderLW '''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 MarwijkNetherlands and Cameroon teams line up prior to the game. '''Man of the Match:'''Robin van Persie (Netherlands)'''Assistant referees:'''Patricio Basualto (Chile)Francisco Mondria (Chile)'''Fourth official:'''Khalil Al Ghamdi (Saudi Arabia)'''Fifth official:'''Saleh Al Marzouqi (United Arab Emirates)
See also *Cameroon at the FIFA World Cup*Denmark at the FIFA World Cup*Japan at the FIFA World Cup*Netherlands at the FIFA World Cup
References