Netherlands-Japan - Latest
*** Refresch the page for minute-to-minute
updates ***
We'll
be with you until kickoff
Saturday, 19 June 2010
15h20 - 1-0 - Three points, but
what a poor game... How come?
14h31 - We're go!
14h30 - The teams are back on the
pitch. What did Van Marwijk say? No subs.
14h29 - However they gave away
nothing, and keeping a clean sheet is worth something
as well. You can't lose with a clean sheet :)
14h28 - What do they have to change
in the seocnd half? More movement off the ball, a bit
more risk going forward and more pace in the passing.
14h28 - If Van Bommel was supposed
to be more offensive, it doesn't show at all. He stayed
right next to De Jong for the entire 45 minutes
14h27 - Perhaps Van Marwijk could
take off either De Jong or Van Bommel and put Afellay
on?
14h26 - As for the Japanese: very
disciplined, well organized, running a lot. Can they
keep it up for 90 minutes? Or will they tire in the
last quarter of the game?
14h25 - A type of player like Robben
or Elia, one who can round a defender and create space
for himself is dearly missed
14h24 - The Japanese goal keeper
was tested once, by Van der Vaart in the 45th minute
with a very distant shot
14h23 - There was 1½ decent
move. One led to Kuyts half chance and one led to a
corner.
14h22 - Holland have trouble creating
space against the very disciplined Japanese defense
14h20 - Anyway... There's too little
movement off the ball, passing is too inaccurate, the
pace is too low
14h19 - So many excellent players
who have trouble controlling it, so many long passes
that turn out way too long, one touch football seems
impossible
14h18 - May we say that the new
ball is to blame for a lot of the poor football we have
seen in a number of games?
14h17 - Japan play very compact,
10 players behind the ball when Holland are in possession.
Holland lack ideas to find pathways into the Japanese
defense
14h16 - 0-0, no chances, no excitement
13h30 - We're go - back at half-time
13h29 - We are very confident.
Let's hope they play well (they will!)
13h28 - The Argentinean referee
is considered one of the best in the world
13h27 - It is again said on Dutch
TV that Van Bommel can be expected to play more offensively
today
13h27 - It's a clear blue sky,
nice summer weather, not a cloud in sight
13h27 - The Japanese have a lovely
anthem!
13h26 - Robben is present but will
certainly not play
13h25 - Let's hope Van Persie can
find to his normal level today. If so he wil be unstoppable
13h24 - The players are onto the
pitch. The vuvu-buzz is deafening
13h23 - Although Elia is injured
it is now said he is fit enough to come on later in
the game
13h22 - The players are in the
tunnel. The Japanese look very tensed
13h21 - At only 27 and perhaps
two more tournaments to go for Van der Vaart, he could
get very close to Holland's most capped player Edwin
van der Sar with 130 caps
13h17 - If Holland make it to the
final and Van der Vaart plays in each game he will finish
the tournament on 85 games. That will put him in seventh
spot, one cap behind Marc Overmars
13h16 - It will be Rafael van der
Vaart's 80th game for Holland. He now overtakes Dennis
Bergkamp and Patrick Kluivert in the Top
10 of most capped players
13h15 - The predictions of the
people here on the server side are 2-1, 2-1 and
3-1.
13h14 - When we check our own gut
feeling we feel it will be a difficult match, but we
also think Holland will play better than they did against
Denmark
13h13 - The atmosphere in the stadium
seems fantastic, as it has been at most games in the
tournament so far. No trouble, just happy people celebrating
the beautiful game! Let's hope it stays that way when
the stakes get higher.
13h12 - Now it's back to the dressing
room, put the orange jerseys on, check the shoelaces
one last time, get some final peptalk from the coaches
and go out there!
13h11 - The players leave the pitch
joking about. Is that a good sign?
13h08 - As Holland play a passing
game a quick, wet pitch is to their advantage
13h07 - As the game is theoretically
a home game for Holland they can have the pitch sprayed
just before kickoff - it's the call of the home game
13h06 - The pitch seems good, but
fairly dry, Dutch TV says
13h05 - We have a good feeling,
but it will be the first time the defense gets seriously
tested
13h03 - With Elia injured it might
well be Ibrahim Afellay to come as the first offensive
substitute
13h00 - So Van der Vaart plays,
in spite of all the criticism after the Denmark game
12h58 - They suffered their last
defeat in September 2008, 1-2 against Australia
12h57 - Counting all matches Holland
have not lost for 22 consecutive games
12h55 - Elia's foot injury is more
serious than at first thought
12h54 - Holland have won the last
nine competitive games (eight World Cup qualifiers and
one game at the World Cup finals)
12h53 - We expect a more offensive
role for Mark van Bommel today
12h52 - The players have come onto
the field to start their warm-up
12h49 - The team of Takeshi Okada
has trouble scoring and lacks a real striker
12h48 - Japan had a hectic preparation
campaign. There was a lot of criticism of the coach
after some poor results
12h47 - Gregory van der Wiel is
the one player in the lineup today who has not yet lost
a game playing for Holland. He has played 11 games for
Holland
12h45 - Honda is the lone striker
- he seems to be Japan's most dangerous player
12h44 - Japan will play in the
same lineup that beat Cameroon 1-0
12h44 - The goal keepers have started
their warm-up
12h43 - Holland do well against
Asian teams at the World Cup. Three games, three victories
12h42 - Let's be honest: Holland
should beat Japan
12h41 - Scoring the first goal
will be key, the tournament has shown so far
12h40 - As always Van Marwijk sticks
to his plan - that is a quality of this manager
12h38 - "We will play the
same game as we always do" - Van Marwijk
12h35 - Holland play in the same
lineup as they did against Denmark Elia is slightly
injured, but he is on the bench
12h30 - "Japan are a tough,
strong opponent" - Bert van Marwijk
***
Holland
and Japan head-to-head.
|
