Oranjemen Hopes Third Time's The Charm In World Cup Final

There was a fear that the first semifinal of the 2010 World Cup between Uruguay and the Netherlands was going to be a tedious, hard fought match which will climax in a penalty shoot-out. I am glad we did not have to sit through that. Instead we witnessed a high-scoring match, two unstoppable long range shots and the best Oranjemen performance so far in this World Cup.

The absence of Nigel de Jong allowed for the introduction of Demy de Zeeuw. The Ajax defensive midfielder did not last long and had to be replaced at halftime. That turned out to be a pivotal moment in the game as Rafael van der Vaart came on and gave the Oranjemen the boost to emerge victors. Martin Caceres must be distraught as it was his overhead kick in the 27th minute that floored the Ajax man, resulting in the enforced substitution. A substitution which handed Holland the game winning initiative.

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Rampaging Robben Stars In Dutch Delight!

Brazil has not lost a match in which Robinho scores and he made the Dutch net bulge twice in the first half hour. The first one denied as Alves was offside but on the half hour mark, Robinho latched on to a through ball from Felipe Melo to bend one past Stekelenburg. Brazil one nil up and looking menacing as they repeatedly danced round the Dutch midfield and defence. The Selecao were in full stride in the first half and Brazil were on course for the semifinals as the Dutch looked shell shocked.

But football is played in two halves and the Oranjemen took over in the second half. It was now Brazil who looked uncertain and nervy. Arjen Robben's pace and dribbling trickery troubled the left side of Brazil and neither Bastos, Juan nor Melo could cope with the flying Dutchman's directness and constant provocation.

It did take an own goal and a straight red card for the frustrated Felipe Melo to completely swing the match towards the Dutch. By the time Melo received his marching orders, Clockwork Orange were already two up thanks to an Arjen Robben assist. Wesley "the Smurf" collected his third goal of a personally satisfying tournament.

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Clockwork Oranje Trumps The Repre With Ease

The most lopsided matchup of the last 16 World Cup matches was supposed to be an opportunity for the Netherlands to flex their footballing muscle and stamp their class on a low-key but effective campaign so far. Unfortunately, the Oranjemen again did just enough rather than dominate a match. Conversely, after falling behind to an Arjen Robben fine strike, Slovakia looked the better side as the Dutch sat back, defend and counter attacked with pace and power.

This is not a Dutch side that I enjoy watching but it is a truly effective one. Van der Vaart was the player sacrificed to make way for the fully recovered Robben. Risking the Dutch's most creative player in a crucial elimination match looked to be the right choice as Robben hit a sizzling near post strike to beat Jan Mucha in goal. Arjen Robben's pace and trickery are the most potent Dutch weapon and for him to be starting is a confidence booster for the Netherlands.

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Group E Decided! Oranje And Blue Advance

How different can a month make?  About three weeks ago, Japanese coach Takeshi Okada was under so much fire that he had offered his resignation after a dreadful defeat to South Korea. Japan went into the World Cup at the back of four matches and were low in confidence. But Okada knew he had a good team and was confident with his team. The best decision he has made is to push Keisuke Honda into a lone striker position. This is what he said at the time,

"The good thing about him is his ability to create goalscoring situations and his physical strength. He can probably be more lively through the middle."

Honda has scored two goals already in this World Cup, as Japan cruise into the last 16. He scored a Ronaldo-esque free kick against Denmark and generally terrorized the Danish defence. Japan's other deadball specialist, Yasuhito Endo also displayed his skill, using the Jabulani's unpredictability to great effect.

Keisuke Honda is revelling being at the sharp end of Japan's attack. His intelligent movement is a great complement for the passing skills of Endo, Matsui and even Nakamura. He also cuts a self confident figure, telling Shinji Okazaki,

“I will score a goal and you have to score another after you are sent in,’”

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Oranjemen Slay The Blue Samurais!

The Netherlands are doing all they can to ensure that Arjen Robben have a role to play in the World Cup. They have one foot in the Round of 16 with a comfortable 1-0 win against the Blue Samurais. In registering their second win in the group phase, the Oranjemen need only a Cameroon-Denmark draw to be the first team in the knockout phases.

Sneijder had the Jabulani ball to thank for his goal. Kawashima, brilliant against Cameroon, was caught out by the swerve and movement of the ball. This Jabulani ball can make even the most experienced goalkeeper look like rookies on the world stage. I am not sure that players are fully exploiting the unpredictability of the ball.

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Robben's Killer Goal Against Lyon In Colour

Arjen Robben once again proved that class remain permanent. The injury-prone winger/striker injected pace and a shoot-on-sight policy to help Bayern claim a slim one-goal lead in the Champions League semifinal at Allianz Arena.

There is a graphics representation of the Robben goal in the Malay Mail. It's hard to find these goal graphics nowadays and thus making this depiction of Robben's goal more valuable!

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