2010 FIFA World Cup Group E

From the looks of it, Group E seems like a group that possesses all the ingredients that are needed to make the action in a World Cup group both alluring and exciting. The Group will see Denmark, Netherlands, Cameroon and Japan vie against each for a shot at stardom. Netherlands enjoy the privilege of being the strongest team in this group. The muscular team will look to override threats from a spirited Cameroon, a regrouped Denmark and a positive Japan.

They, i.e. the Dutch are a smart and skillful lot and will hope to repeat their magnum opus like performances they successfully pulled off during the qualifying stages. The headstrong outfit made the teams they played against look weak and docile. Bert van Marwijk’s gladiators won all the eight games they played against their rivals in Group 9 of the European Zone, a herculean feat indeed. The Dutch, although not the top seeds are an outfit worthy of the Cup, they are a team fortunate enough to boast of both offensive and defensive talents. “We have a mission: to be champions of the world,” asserted assistant coach Frank de Boer in an interview with FIFA.com. Will this assertion hold true in the heat of the battle, or will the mighty Dutch warriors sink into the nothingness of Group E’s competitive waters? Only time can tell!

Hot on the heels of the Dutch come the Cameroonians who may look to do away with the competition and proceed to the later stages of the tournament. Cameroon enjoys the distinction of being the African side that has played the most number of games at a FIFA World Cup tournament. The Indomitable Lions, as Cameroon are popularly known, will hope to thrive on the efforts of their star player Samuel Eto’o, who is known for his ability to outperform his rivals. Great feats and ‘indomitable’ efforts are also expected from the likes of Achille Emana, Alexandre Song and Jean II Makoun. The willful outfit will start off their campaign for the Cup against Japan and will mostly look to build on the results of that match.

Japan and Denmark play the role of the underdogs in this group. The Samurai Blue visit South Africa with the distinction of being the Asian team that has won three of the last five editions of the AFC Cup. Takeshi Okada, the Japanese coach, literally had to stitch together the Japanese outfit that will play in South Africa this year. The leading lights of this team include a young Keisuke Honda and a robust Shunsuke Nakamura. Denmark, on the other hand, will look up to Nicklas Bendtner and Jon Dahl Tomasson for some on field pyrotechnics. The 2006 absentees had a great run to this year’s finals and in spite of having to deal with Sweden and Portugal managed to race to the top of their respective group. The team boasts of a unique concoction of players with priceless European experience and also players with age on their side. The Danish are a strong lot; that’s as good as a fact. No other team in the group can afford to pay for the luxury of taking this side too lightly. That goes to say a lot, doesn’t it?

The schedule for the Group E matches is given below.