World Cup Group E Preview

Busy day yesterday kept me away from the blog for much of the day. So as to keep on schedule, I'll get to two previews today (I think). We'll start with Group E, a very balanced group in which it wouldn't be a surprise if any of the teams move through. As always, the Netherlands is viewed as a potential champion as it's a balanced and explosive team loaded with talent. Cameroon is a very talented team and some view it as Africa's best hope. Japan is a longtime Asian power with many tested players who won't be overwhelmed. And Denmark has never failed to get out of group play - though it's only made the World Cup three times, but that's still a pretty good record. There shouldn't be any walkover games in this group.


Cameroon
An African team has reached the knockout stage in six-straight World Cups and Cameroon is considered one of the favorites to keep that streak going. The Indomitable Lions won the African Cup four times, including in 2000 and 2002, and won the Olympic gold medal in 1990, and while it's been awhile since they've won any major tournament, this is still a talented group. But there's also a lot more to the Cameroon name than to the results. It's only won one of its last nine World Cup matches and didn't even qualify for the 2006 Cup. The Lions barely qualified out of a group that wasn't that good, and did not play well in the African Cup of Nations. All of this sounds pretty dire for Cameroon, but there is good balance of veteran, experienced players and emerging young stars. And one other thing: Cameroon was the first foreign team to play in South Africa postapartheid, and it will be very popular among the local fans, which could be a big advantage.
Coach: Paul Le Guen. Like almost all French people (I joke, I joke!), he's surly and just looks like kind of a jerk, but boy has he turned things around for Cameroon. He took over from the gloriously named Otto Pfister when Cameroon was at the bottom of the qualifying table and his team won four in a row, outscoring foes 9-1 to qualify. Kind of a surprise, as he failed as the coach at Paris Saint-Germain. He boldly switched captains and inserted a strong attacking tactic and voila! South Africa-bound.
Players to Watch
Samuel Eto'o: It's fun to say his name because it's kind of like they forgot about the last letter, and just slapped it on at the end. It's also fun to watch him play, as he's one of the best strikers in the world. The Inter Milan star was named captain by Le Guen and that's kind of when the team took off. Eto'o, who moved to Milan after five years at Barcelona, scored nine goals in 11 qualifiers and the three-time African Player of the Year is a favorite to win the Golden Boot award.
Mohamadou Idrissou: The 6-foot-3 forward will likely line up next to Eto'o up front after scoring nine goals in the Bundesliga this season.
Rigobert Song: Great name, great, but old, player. The former captain has played in three previous World Cups and had stops in England, France and Turkey. No one has played more games for Cameroon than Ol' Rigobert but the question is if he can still keep up with fast, young strikers.
Geremi: Yes, just Geremi. Another aging player who has switched from midfield to defense, he's played club ball in Paraguay, Spain, England and Turkey. He was at Newcastle United this season but left because he just wasn't playing. That's not a good sign. But he is experienced and a strong leader.
Joel Matip: Only 18, but he's won confidence with strong play in the Bundesliga and could end up a starter at midfield. Born in Germany, he brings great size and presence despite his youth.
Jean Makoun: A defensive midfielder who can also score, he's starred for French power Lyon the last two years. A very energetic player who provides a bridge between Cameroon's veteran defenders and Eto'o.


Denmark
Denmark is batting 1.000, having qualified for the World Cup three times (1986, '98 and '02) and always advancing past group play. And this group is considered perhaps the best the country has produced since the early '90s. Of course, this group also didn't qualify for Euro 2008, so who knows? Denmark did win a difficult qualifying group that included Portugal and Sweden thanks to a veteran group, including coach Morten Olsen, the longest-tenured coach at the Cup who led Denmark to an upset of France in the 2002 tournament. One big issue is the possible absence of veteran keeper Thomas Sorensen, who dislocated his elbow at the end of the EPL season and could miss the tournament. But Denmark is also considered one of the happiest countries in the world, so that's got to be good for team morale, right? It makes me happy just writing it.
Coach: Morten Olsen. Really well liked among his players, in part because he was such a good player for Denmark, he's led the team for over a decade. Olsen has started to mix in some younger players to go along with his veteran guys he led to the 2002 tourney.
Players to Watch
Nicklas Bendtner: The 22-year-old striker scored three times for Arsenal against Porto in the Champions League, and scored against Portugal twice in qualifying. Big, strong and agile, could be one of the breakout stars of the tournament.
Christian Eriksen: Just 18, he's already made a name for himself at Ajax and is a dangerous attacking midfielder. Made his first appearance for Denmark in February and seems to have fit in well.
Jon Dahl Tomasson: The 33-year-old captain is the key to the Danish offense, providing size and a great target. But his age and injury woes could be a real problem.
Simon Kjaer: The youngster is now one of the most sought-after defenders in Europe after playing so well in qualifying and emerging for Palermo in Serie A.
Christian Poulsen: The physical, tough defensive midfielder is a huge help to the Danish defense and is also capable of scoring a goal now and then. One of the few Danish players who plays at a high-level European team (Juventus), he may be the key to any Denmark success.
Daniel Agger: A central defender who has been compared to coach Morten Olsen when Olsen was a player, he's the rock of the Danish defense. Stars at Liverpool and is a rare defender who comes forward and is a real threat.
Anders Moller Christensen: Struggled badly in qualifying, leaving a gaping hole on the left wing and he may not leave the bench in South Africa.
Patrick Mtiliga: Inexperienced but may be called on to fill the hole at left wing.


Japan
Japan is one of the powers of Asia, having qualified for the World Cup for the fourth-straight time, but the only time it's ever won was when it was the co-host in 2002. While this team has plenty of experienced players, it's also a boring group that has extreme trouble scoring goals. In fact, it's kind of driving the Japanese fans nuts. And you don't want to drive Japanese fans nuts, they're too organized. But at least they're also polite. They made headlines for cleaning up confetti in the stands after a game. Think that would ever happen here? Probably not. So do you really want to offend a group of fans passionate and organized enough to clean up tiny pieces of paper from a stadium? I sure don't. So get with it Japan.
Coach: Takeshi Okada. Who do you think is getting blamed for Japan's inability to score goals? This guy! He's also made the wild prediction that his team will make the semis. He led Japan to its first World Cup in 1998 and got to take over again when the previous coach had a stroke in late 2007. Now that's what you call a stroke of luck. I know, I'm terrible.
Players to Watch
Makoto Hasebe: A forward who is better known for his defense, which isn't really a good thing. But he plays for German champion Wolfsburg, and will be one of the guys really looked to to provide some scoring.
Keisuke Honda: A 24-year-old midfielder who plays for CSKA Russia, he's only played three games for Japan but is being counted on for his versatility and athleticism to provide some creativity and offense for Japan.
Marcus Tulio Tanaka: Someone has watched too much Rome. Marcus Tulio? This has to be the most unusual name in the tournament. He's also not going to be very well liked after his high knee broke Ivory Coast star Didier Drogba's arm last week. But he's a rock for the defense as the Brazilian-born center back was named the 2006 Japan Player of the Year.
Yuji Nakazawa: The team captain and center defender, he's the leader of a group that is the strength of Japan.
Shunsuke Nakamura: After languishing on the bench for his club team in Spain, Nakamura returned home just to get on the field and get ready. He's long been considered the best player on the team, and is a dangerous player on set pieces, but the midfielders play lately has left little to be excited about.
Takayuki Morimoto: The 22-year-old may not start at forward for Japan, but maybe he should. Has played for Catania in Serie A for three years and he's creative and could be just what the Japanese offense needs.
Keiji Tamada: A likely starter at forward, he's got to do a better job than he has been or he'll be seeing a lot of the bench.
Yoshito Okubo: Another starting forward who hasn't produced and has to be better for Japan to have success.
Yasuhito Endo: The defending Japan Player of the Year is a talented midfielder strong on attack and defense. He scored three goals in qualifying after never leaving the bench in the 2006 World Cup. The most creative, dangerous player on the team.
Shinji Okazaki: Not the most productive forward but the flashiest and potentially the most exciting, he could be the guy they turn to to get the offense going.

Netherlands
Long one of the most entertaining teams in the world and always considered a threat to win it all, the Dutch never quite put it together. In the previous six World Cups the team has qualified for, it's always made it out of group play, finishing runners-up in 1974 and '78 and reaching the semifinals in 1998. Holland played extremely well in Euro 2008, displaying explosive offense, and continued in World Cup qualifying, going 8-0. But qualifying hasn't been the big issue for the Dutch. It's playing well with actual real consequences on the line. This is a team that is loaded with attacking players, particularly on the wings, but with a weak backline that could undermine anything the fabulous offense can produce. Luckily for the Netherlands, this isn't a group loaded with great attackers outside of Cameroon, so it should be fine in qualifying, but then it's the same old story for the Dutch.
Coach: Bert van Marwijk. Took over the team after Euro 2008 and perhaps his biggest impact has been keeping a team full of big egos in check. He generally has run the same formation and lineup out there every time, going with the "If it ain't broke" approach which has allowed Netherlands to be one of the most consistent teams in Europe.
Players to Watch
Robin van Persie: Incredibly talented and incredibly hot-headed, he's constantly griping about teammates, most recently Dirk Kuyt, whom he felt must be missing a letter or two in his last name (OK, that last part may not be true). A versatile forward adept at handling the ball, he's been injured for much of the season for Arsenal but is a top scorer when healthy.
Joris Mathijsen: A center defender, he has really struggled with both position and marking, which are both fairly important traits for a defender. Could be on camera a lot as other teams go after his side of the field.
Giovanni van Bronkhorst: The captain of the team and maybe the only Dutchman named Giovanni, he's announced his retirement following the World Cup. Unfortunately, that means he's playing in the World Cup, which may not be good news for the Dutch as he's just not that good anymore.
Eljero Elia: He may not start, but this youngster is an emerging star on the wings, with great speed and dribbling ability and maybe the best crosser on the team. Just what the Dutch need, another great offensive player.
Arjen Robben: One of the faster players in the tournament except when he's hurt, which is all the time. A dangerous offensive player if only because of his speed, he stars at Bayern Munich, which ain't too shabby.
Wesley Sneijder: The most complete offensive player on the team, he was let go by Real Madrid only to sign with Inter Milan, where he's thrived. Tremendous on dead balls, he's able to create or finish. With Inter, he's won the Champions League, Serie A and Coppa Italia titles, so why not finish things off with a World Cup trophy?
Dirk Kuyt: Another outstanding attacker who usually rushes in from the wings, he's playing with a chip on his shoulder because Robin van Persie hates him so much.
Maarten Stecklenburg: Tough job filling in for a legend, and that's what Stecklenberg is doing. He's taking the place in net left by the retired Edward van der Saar, who always seemed about ready to kill any defender who dared let someone take a shot on him. It's not a good sign that fans have asked van der Saar to come back. Come on, give Maarten a chance.