Poor Holland beat Japan

Saturday 05 September 2009

In the 'Veste van Enschede' Holland left it until very late before they showed they are a better side than Japan, with three goals in the last 20 minutes of the game the Dutch decided the game: 3-0.

It was substitute Eljero Elia of Hamburg SV who had a big impact with two assists.

In the first part of the game Holland showed absolutely nothing.

There was one little chance for Robin van Persie.

The Arsenal striker connected well with a Dirk Kuyt pass but aimed too high.

Apart from that one chance it were the visitors from Japan who determined the game.

The Asians, like Holland already qualified for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, played a decent game with a lot of movement and the ability to deregulate the Dutch game all over the pitch.

The team of Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk certainly had the better players but lacked the inspiration to put it on display.

They played at one pace without any element of surprise, boring the people in the stands.

Preparing for Wednesday's World Cup qualifier against Scotland - where there's nothing at stake for the Dutch either - Van Marwijk did come up with some surprises in his lineup.

Gregory van der Wiel (Ajax) replaced John Heitinga at right-back and not Stijn Schaars (AZ), but David Mendes da Silva (AZ) replaced the injured Mark van Bommel.

Michel Vorm (FC Utrecht) replaced the injured Maarten Stekelenburg for his second cap.

The fact that Glenn Loovens was the fifth player to make his debut under Van Marwijk was no surprise.

Compared to the game against England, last month, Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Wesley Sneijder returned to the starting lineup at the expense of Edson Braafheid and Rafael van der Vaart.

After the break another two players made their debut.

Goal keeper Piet Velthuizen (Vitesse) and winger Elia.

Keisuke Honda, the big man of VVV Venlo made his debut for Japan.

It was Elia who put some new life into the Dutch team halfway through the second half.

First he forced Japan's goal keeper Eiji Kawashima to make a good save on a distant shot and then he had an assist on Holland's first goal.

In the 69th minute he played in a perfect cross from the left which Van Persie blasted into the net.

Shortly after Wesley Sneijder made it 2-0 with a fine shot and only minutes later he was carried off the pitch with what seemed to be a serious ankle injury after a harsh tackle by Honda.

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar had the final word, making it 3-0 from yet another cross by Elia.