Group E: Netherlands win again, Japan move on

The Netherlands are through, but Japan and Denmark face each other to decide to joins the Oranje's in the knockout stages.

(matches to kick off simultaneously)

Denmark 1-3 (0-2) Japan
Goals: 0-1 Keisuke Honda (17'), 0-2 Yasuhito Endo (30'), 1-2 Jon Dahl Tomasson (81'), 1-3 Shinji Okazaki (87').

Japan scored a surprise 3-1 win against Denmark at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium in Rustenburg to move on from Group E into the pre-quarterfinals.

Denmark had the better start into the game, but the Japanese took the lead in the 17th minute through a Keisuke Honda free kick as the Danish keeper Thomas Soerensen speculated and let the ball in. Again Denmark had the chance to equalise, but Japan doubled the lead through another free kick. This time Yasuhito Endo scored of the dead ball situation in the 30th minute. And Japan took a surprise 2-0 lead into the break.

After the break Endo could have scored Japan's third through another free kick, but Denmark got away and slowly build pressure on the Japanese defence which did withstand the pressure. But Denmark was only able to reduce the margin through Jon Dahl Tomasson's rebound of his own penalty, but Japan sealed the historic win the 87th minute through a goal from substitute Shinji Okazaki off a Honda pass.


Cameroon 1-2 (0-1) Netherlands
Goals: 0-1 Robin van Persie (36'), 1-1 Samuel Eto'o (65'), 1-2 Klaas Jan Huntelaar (84').

The Netherlands kept their 100% record intact with a 2-1 victory against Cameroon at the Green Point Stadium in Cape Town.

There was nothing really to play for as Netherlands had ensured their passage to the quarterfinals and Cameroon were out of the tournament. So an open and direct game evolved in the first 15 minutes, but thereafter the game lost its speed. The Dutch took the lead in the 36th minute when Rafael van der Vaart played the ball to Robin van Persie, whose shot tunnelled the Cameroon keeper Hamidou Youleymanou.

After the break the Netherlands had more of the ball, but they couldn't double their lead. Around the hour mark Cameroon seemed to get back into the game and in the 65th minute they got a penalty after van der Vaart handled a Geremi free kick. Samuel Eto'o scored it for the Lions. But the Netherlands would win the game with a goal in the 84th minute after an Arjen Robben shot hit the post and striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar was able to score of the rebound.