Match Reports – Germany 4-0 Australia. Holland 2-0 Denmark. Japan 1-0 Cameroon

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Germany 4-0 Australia
Germany provided a real signal of intent with a thrilling demolition of 10-man Australia to get their 2010 World Cup campaign off to a flying start.
Coming into the tournament without injured talisman Michael Ballack, doubts over the future of coach Joachim Loew and the second-youngest squad in the competition, many might have expected Germany to struggle in South Africa.
But if their effervescent display in Durban is anything to go by, the three-time champions could be real contenders for the title come 11 July.
Lukas Podolski and Miroslav Klose continued their remarkable scoring record at international level with a goal apiece to take their joint tally to 88, Thomas Mueller and Cacau added the gloss, while in playmaker Mesut Ozil they appear to have found a real superstar.
They were aided by the harsh dismissal of Australia’s key man Tim Cahill, given a straight red card for a clumsy but hardly malevolent challenge on Bastian Schweinsteiger on 55 minutes.
Germany, though, had given notice of their attacking class long before that.
Klose has already been denied by Aussie keeper Mark Schwarzer when Podolski drilled in the opener from Mueller’s cross, and moments after Klose had wasted another glorious chance, poking wide from eight yards, the Bayern Munich man nodded in Phillip Lahm’s delicious cross to make it 2-0.
In fairness, Australia had the odd half-chance, Jason Culina heading a Brett Emerton cross over and Richard Garcia sending a snap-shot past the post – while a second-half appeal for handball against Per Mertesacker in the box might have warranted closer inspection.
But what Germany lacked in defensive strength, they more than made up for in pace, power and technique up front.
Ozil twice had the chance to get on the scoresheet having been sent through one-on-one, his first effort cleared off the line by Lucas Neill and his touch failing him the second time.
And then came Cahill’s sending off, after which Germany’s domination was absolute.
Schwarzer did his best to keep the score down, saving twice from Klose, and once apiece from Sami Khedira and Podolski as Germany tore through the Australia defences time and again.
But the Fulham keeper could do little about Germany’s third, Mueller tucking in off the post from the edge of the area, and even less about their fourth, substitute Cacau tapping in from Ozil’s centre.
Loew took the opportunity to rest the likes of Klose, Ozil and Podolski thereafter and, as a result, the Germans were unable to maintain their fluidity in attack in the closing stages.
Australia even carved a late chance for a consolation, Nikita Rukavytsya volleying straight at keeper Manuel Neuer from Scott Chipperfield’s cross.
However, the Germans’ work had long been done at that point and they saw the match out in comfort to take top spot in Group D and serve warning to their rivals in South Africa.

Holland 1-0 Denmark
A freak own goal from Denmark defender Daniel Agger helped Netherlands on their way to victory in the World Cup Group E contest at Soccer City.
After a tight first half, the crucial breakthrough came moments after the break as Simon Poulsen tried to head a Robin van Persie cross clear only for the ball to strike Agger on the back and fly past a wrong-footed Thomas Sorensen.
At the time the goal was harsh on Denmark after Morten Olsen’s side matched the Dutch in the opening period, but they offered little having fallen behind and can have few complaints about the result.
The Dutch wrapped it up with five minutes left when lively substitute Eljero Elia raced on to a through ball and after his shot struck the post, Dirk Kuyt tapped in the rebound to add gloss to the scoreline.
But in truth, the ninth game of the tournament followed many of its predecessors as both teams struggled for any sort of fluency and neither could find any real attacking momentum in the Johannesburg sunshine.
With World Cup greats Johan Cruyff, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane watching on from the stands, it provided another sharp reminder that, Germany apart, so far this tournament has significantly failed to provide the entertaining, creative football many had expected.
Netherlands were many people’s dark horses coming into the competition, but, missing the wing play of the injured Arjen Robben, they struggled to find a way through a dogged Danish defence.
Rafael van der Vaart, Wesley Sneijder and Van Persie all threatened to deliver in the early stages, but the Dutch build-up was too laboured and with Denmark getting men behind the ball they managed to frustrate Bert van Marwijk’s side.
After Van der Vaart had a shot deflected behind and then curled narrowly off target it seemed as though Netherlands had found their feet, but that only prompted the best spell Denmark had in the game.
The Scandinavians burst into life as Nicklas Bendtner headed a gilt-edged chance wide from six yards, Dennis Rommedahl shot straight at Martin Stekelenburg and then Thomas Kahlenberg forced a fine save from the Ajax stopper.
Unfortunately for Denmark, that was as good as it got as, seconds after the restart, Poulsen and Agger’s calamitous moment gave the Dutch an initiative they never looked likely to surrender.
Denmark had no answer to falling behind and the Netherlands began to press for a second they knew would put the result beyond doubt as Van der Vaart brought a sprawling save from an increasingly extended Sorensen.
When the Dutch brought on Elia his pace and directness presented another problem the Danes could not deal with and after Sneijder’s shot was deflected on to the bar, the goal that killed the game arrived soon after.
Elia’s pace took him clear of the static Danish backline and after his shot stuck the post, Kuyt was only hand to wrap up the three points for the jubilant Dutch.
The nearly had another in the closing stages, only for Poulsen to produce a fabulous clearance with an overhead kick, but the damage had already been done and the Netherlands’ World Cup campaign got off to a winning start.

Japan 1-0 Cameroon
Japan 1-0 Cameroon FT
(HT 1-0)
Honda, 38

Japan
21 Eiji Kawashima
03 Komano
04 Tanaka
05 Nagatomo
22 Nakazawa
02 Abe Yellow card
07 Endo
08 Matsui (Okazaki, 68)
17 Hasebe Captain (Inamoto, 88)
18 Honda
16 Okubo (Kisho Yano, 81)
Cameroon
16 Hamidou
02 Assou-Ekotto
03 N’Koulou Yellow card
05 Bassong
21 Matip (Emana, 63)
11 Makoun (Geremi, 75)
18 Enoh
19 M’bia Etoundi
09 Eto’o Captain
13 Choupo-Moting (Idrissou, 75)
15 Webo

Substitutes Japan:
01 Narazaki, 23 Kawaguchi, 06 Uchida, 13 Daiki Iwamasa, 15 Konno, 10 Nakamura, 14 Nakamura, 20 Inamoto, 09 Okazaki, 11 Tamada, 12 Kisho Yano, 19 Morimoto

Substitutes Cameroon:
01 Kameni, 22 Ndy Assembe, 04 Song, 06 Song Billong, 12 Gaetan Bong, 07 N’Guemo, 08 Geremi, 10 Emana, 14 Chedjou Fongang, 20 Mandjeck, 17 Idrissou, 23 Vincent Aboubakar
Venue: Free state stadium
Referee: Benquerenca
Attendance: 31,600

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