Venue: Netherlands v Japan in Durban – World Cup Group E Match

Date: Saturday, June 19, 2010
Match Time: 1.30pm (local)
Netherlands v Japan Odds: Netherlands win 2/5; draw 5/2; Japan win 7/1.
Key players – Netherlands: Robin Van Persie, Dirk Kuyt, Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder. Japan: Shunsuke Nakamura, Marcus Tulio Tanaka, Keisuke Honda.
Tickets: TBA
Livestream: Coming Soon

Predictions:
Greg Neville: The Dutch, boasting Champions League finalists Robben (Bayern Munich) and Sneijder (Inter), will have too much class for Japan. While Robben is fit and back training with the squad, whether he will play or not is expected to be a last-minute decision by manager Bert van Marwijk. The Japanese, who had a first-up 1-0 win over Cameroon, will be despearate for a point and the way results have been going anything is possible. They will not quit but Japan lacks the attacking power to stay with a side of this caliber. The Oranje win 3-1 and book their spot in the knockout stage. Japan will have to wait for its last match against Denmark if they are to move on.

Ron Patel: Japan are good defensively and may get some chances on the counter, but this is, no doubt, the Netherlands’ game to lose. If the Dutch play the way they did against Denmark in the final 20 minutes, then Japan has no chance. They lacked width against Denmark until Bert van Marwijk changed it up and brought on Eljero Elia. He was the man of the match, despite only playing a fraction of the encounter. However, if van Marwijk opts for the same starting 11, Japan will seek a 0-0 draw. Alas, the Netherlands to win 2-0.

Frank Finnegan: The Dutch typically hit their World Cup stride in the second and third matches of the Group Stage, and will do so here as well. Japan will come to play, and will not just sit back and defend, and they will pay for it. 3-1 Holland…no, make it 4-1. And the 1 will come late in the match as a consolation. I am sensing a huge tournament for Van Persie. The Netherlands will have 6 points and 7 goals from their first two matches, and will have everyone talking them up as the new sexy pick to win the Cup…and then they will probably break a lot of hearts when they fall short again.

Other June 19 matches:
World Cup Group D match: Ghana v Australia in Rustenberg at 4pm.
Ghana v Australia Odds: Ghana win 5/6; draw 5/2; Australia win 10/3.
World Cup Group E match: Cameroon v Denmark in Pretoria at 8.30pm.
Cameroon v Denmark Odds: Cameroon win 7/4; draw 21/10; Denmark win 6/4.