Japan have made it through to the last 16 for the first time ever on foreign soil after a comfortable 3-1 win over Denmark yesterday, sending yet another European team crashing out of the competition. Denmark had to win yesterday if they wanted to join Holland in the last 16, but Japan could go through with just a draw. However, it was evident that Japan were not going to set out for a draw, they were there for the killing.
Previously criticised for being far too defensive and rigid in their shape and style of play, and accused of "anti-football", the Japanese completely changed their tactics against a fairly predictable Danish side, who had battled to victory over Cameroon, after going a goal down. From the off, the Japanese were far more eager to get forward, they were fresh, fit, a lot more physical and ran riot with the Danish defence.
They were troubling Denmark with their passing and movement and their ability to keep running and running. Denmark were unable to get good service down to Bendtner who was largely absent in the first half. Denmark did have a few chances in the first and second half, most of them falling to the captain, Jon Dahl Tomasson, who was unable to put them away. Their closest chance came right in the opening stages, when his shot missed the goal by mere inches. Tomasson, who needed two goals to break the all-time Danish goalscoring record has been stuck on 51 goals for the last two years, and it looked like much wasn't going to change in this game either.
For Japan, it was Grenoble's Matsui that looked lively down the wings and his shot was saved by Stoke's Thomas Sorensen. 17 minutes into the game, Japan were awarded a free kick some 30 yards out. Both Honda and Endo were standing over the ball poised to strike, whilst Sorensen arranged his wall. In almost a Ronaldo-esque fashion, Honda stood over the ball, took a long run-up and absolutely smashed the ball up over the wall and into the back of the net, passing a shocked Sorensen on the way in. Sorensen had stayed rooted to the spot and should have done much, much better. He appeared to move a little to the left, before realising the ball was coming to his right and by then it was too late for him to get a hand to it. If he had been in the right place, he would have seen it coming and been able to save it. Nonetheless, it was a fantastic goal from a striker that has really impressed so far in the tournament.
And minutes later, it was from another free kick that Japan doubled their lead. This time it was Yasuhito Endo, and it was far more closer to the goal, and in a more central position. Everyone watching, was thinking surely not...they can't possibly score from another free kick can they? But to the horror of the bemused Danes, they did, and what a spectacular strike. The ball curved just enough past the wall and past Sorensen before landing perfectly in the net. Hah, so much for the rubbish, hard-to-control, Jabulani ball eh?! It's probably because no one else knows quite how to control it like the Japanese. There's been a real shortage of goals from free-kicks...even the master Ronaldo, and Drogba have been unable to find the back of the net with them, but the Japanese had scored two in quick succession.
They nearly got themselves a third goal with Endo, just before the break but Sorensen was equal to it. It was Endo again who got the best chance for Japan, in the early part of the second-half, from yet another set-piece, and Sorensen nearly gifted them their third by dropping the ball back on to the frame of the goal. Now that would really have been game over for the Danes.
As it happened, the Danes almost got back into the game, with yet another miss from Tomasson and Larsen's volley hitting the bar. They got their chance to make it 2-1 when Daniel Agger was pushed in the box by the Japanese captain, Hasebe. Tomasson stepped up to take it, and after all his misses during the game, I half-feared he was going to miss the penalty and all. And...he did...but then followed up the rebound and got the Danes back into the tie with 10 odd minutes left. He nearly missed from the rebound too! But it was too little, too late for the Danes to try and score 3 goals and not concede any at the same time. Unfortunately, that's exactly what happened as Morten Olsen threw on practically every attacking player he had leaving only 3 defenders at the back...and why not? If you're going to go out, you may as well do so having tried everything you possibly could.
It was that man Honda again, breaking on the counter, and weaving his way easily past the Danish defence, getting close to Sorensen and waiting for him to commit, before unselfishly passing it through to Okazaki to get their well deserved third goal. Had the game ended 2-1, it would have been a flattering scoreline to the Danes, because on the face of it all, Japan were deserved winners and will now go through to face Paraguay. Japan were too strong for the Danes, who finished third after Cameroon failed to pick up any points from any of their group games, losing 2-1 to the Dutch who topped the group with 9/9 points. Incidentally, Paul Le Guen, has announced today that he has quit his job as Cameroon boss after their poor showing in the tournament.
We have seen Paraguay playing really well so far in the tournament, but if this Japan team can play anything like they did against Denmark, then a possible quarter-final place beckons...
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