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World Cup Preview – Group E

This group has a colorful set of teams that range from attack-minded to more defensively oriented. There’s a clear favorite in the Netherlands and a team clearly expected to bring up the rear in Japan, with Denmark and Cameroon expected to fight for advancement.

Indeed, although neither Denmark nor especially Cameroon will necessarily be pleased to settle for second place, the match between the two on June 19 does figure to be the key to the group. Were Denmark to draw — or defeat — the Netherlands in its opening match, it might give the Danes more license to dictate the pace against Cameroon, figuring a tie would suit them well enough with the match against Japan left. But were Denmark to lose the opening match, there would be more pressure on Denmark to open up its game, a pace that would figure to favor the Indombitable Lions.

The Dutch made their mark on world football in the 1970s with the introduction of Totaalvoetbal, or total football. This system is characterized by a fluid style of play, with the formation having more importance than position. In other words, players are not constrained in their positional roles, but are able to play throughout the field. More than three decades later, their style of play remains one of the most beautiful and influential, with Arsenal and Barcelona two of the best-known clubs emulating Holland today.

Although the 2010 Netherlands national team is considered to be among the top five squads in the world, supporting the Oranje doesn’t guarantee immunity to heartache. Like Spain, Holland enjoyed a magnificent qualifying round, as they coasted through eight victories, making them one of the form-teams in the world at the moment. But Holland has a bit of a reputation for falling apart at critical junctures. As always, the Dutch will play some of the prettiest soccer in the tournament. But if past form holds true, they’ll play one iffy game when it counts and go out before the finals. Still, the talent for a run is always there. Although the loss of Bayern Munich forward Arjen Robben for the opening game doesn’t help.

Cameroon has been somewhat synonymous with African soccer since their World Cup quarterfinal run in 1990, but their bite hasn’t matched their roar since. The Lions have managed only one win in their last nine World Cup matches, exiting after the first round in 1994, ’98 and ’02, while missing out completely in 2006.

The Indomitable Lions had a difficult qualifying campaign and will be without Michael Essien, but they emerged atop a group that included Togo, Gabon and Morocco. The Lions were relatively quiet at the African Nations Cup, edging into the quarters where they were beaten soundly by eventual champion Egypt. Nevertheless, Samuel Eto’o heads an experienced team with serious aspirations of making some noise in South Africa.

Denmark arrives at the 2010 World Cup with possibly its best squad of footballers since they won the European Championship in 1992. Morten Olsen’s blend of young and old topped a tough qualification group that included Portugal and archrival Sweden. Denmark has made the last 16 on its two previous appearances at the Word Cup finals, and with opening matches against the Netherlands, Cameroon and Japan this time around, you would not bet against the Danes’ repeating the achievement. Denmark went through 35 players in its first few matches, but settled on a squad after that and won a very tough group while conceding only five goals in ten games. What may be missing here is a striker in his prime, as standby Jon Dahl Tomasson is now 33 and Nicklas Bendtner, just 22, is still coming into his own.

Japan has become a World Cup fixture in the past decade, with South Africa 2010 representing its fourth straight finals appearance. Yet the Blue Samurai have never won a World Cup game on foreign turf: Its two group-stage wins came on home soil during the 2002 finals.

A lack of offense could be a problem when facing opposing strikers who are more clinical in front of goal, but a number of the team’s stars who now see action for European club sides — such as midfielders Makoto Hasebe and Keisuke Honda — are aiming to lead Japan to a surprise run to the knockout rounds.

Japan is one of those teams that seems to know its place, dominating inferior opponents but seldom challenging stronger ones, as a 3-1 loss to South Korea in the East Asian Championship and a 3-0 loss to Serbia in the Kirin Cup attest. For whatever reason, Japan has matched up well against African teams, going 5-0-1 against them since 2007 while outscoring them 16-4.

Information for this preview was researched, and more team information is available, here, here, here, here, here and here.