Wesley Sneijder scored the only goal yesterday to help the Netherlands beat Japan 1-0 for their second straight World Cup win.
Sneijder’s 53rd-minute strike finally broke Japan’s stubborn resistance, which had stifled Dutch creativity for much of the match.
Robin van Persie laid the ball back and Sneijder sent in a powerful right-foot shot that Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima could only deflect into his net.
PHOTO: EPA
It was the Inter playmaker’s 15th goal in 63 internationals.
“Our players did everything they could, but we could not beat the Netherlands,” Japan coach Takeshi Okada said. “We feel sorry for the fans.”
The Netherlands, however, again failed to live up to their billing as one of the most fluent attacking teams of the tournament. The team struggled to a 2-0 victory over Denmark in their first Group E match, while Japan had a 1-0 victory over Cameroon.
PHOTO: REUTERS
Before Sneijder’s goal, van Persie missed chances for the Dutch in front of 62,010 fans at the Moses Mabhida Stadium.
Japan responded to the goal by pushing forward and Yoshito Okubo had two shots in quick succession, the first saved by Netherlands goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg, the second going over the bar.
Substitute Ibrahim Afellay came close to doubling the Dutch lead in the 84th minute and again in the 88th when he bore down on the Japan goal, but he was foiled both times by good saves from Kawashima diving at his feet.
Japan nearly made the Netherlands pay for those misses when substitute Shinji Okazaki latched onto a deep cross at the far post and shot just over the bar.
The Netherlands reached the World Cup final in 1974 and 1978, but lost both times. Japan’s best finish was reaching the round-of-16 when they co-hosted the tournament with South Korea in 2002.
The win set a record of 10 straight victories for the Netherlands in World Cup qualifiers and finals matches, including eight before the two in South Africa.
It also extended the Dutch record of never losing to an Asian team. They have now won eight matches and drawn one against Asian opponents.
The win put the Netherlands in first place in Group E with six points.
Netherlands coach Bert van Marwijk said he was expecting an aggressive Japan team and that’s what he found as Okada played a four-man defense and a mobile five-man midfield that never gave the Dutch time to settle on the ball.
The Netherlands dominated possession early, with Rafael van der Vaart, Dirk Kuyt and van Persie all switching positions across the midfield to confuse Japan’s defense.
Kuyt had the most spectacular Dutch effort before the break, with an overhead kick in the 10th minute after a cross from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, but defender Yuji Nakazawa headed the effort clear.
A minute earlier, Sneijder had also came close with a free-kick that flashed over the bar, but after soaking up the pressure, Japan came back into the game and created their own scoring chances.
Keisuke Honda headed over in the 33rd minute after a free-kick from Yasuhito Endo, and Marcus Tulio Tanaka did the same five minutes later when he climbed above Kuyt, but could not direct his header down.
As Japan continued to push forward, Stekelenburg easily saved Daisuke Matsui’s volley and Honda sent a long-range free-kick harmlessly over the bar.
After the break, Japan struggled to regain their momentum, allowing the Netherlands to again dominate possession and finally find a way to goal.
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