2010 World Cup: Denmark v Japan full time report
Denmark 1 Japan 3
A hugely impressive Japan qualified for the last 16 of the World Cup for the first time outside of their own country, as they blew away a poor Denmark in Rustenburg.
Stunning free kicks from Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endō established a thoroughly deserved half time lead for the Japanese, who now go on to face Paraguay in the second round.
Quicker to the ball and hungrier than their European opponents, the Japanese also went close through Daisuke Matsui and Honda again.
The Danish rallied briefly, and after Søren Larsen had hit the crossbar, Jon Dahl Tomasson followed up his missed penalty to halve the deficit, before Honda set up substitute Shinji Okazaki to confirm Denmark’s exit.
Japan deserve all the plaudits that they’ll pick up for this win, and head into the second round full of confidence.
Both Danish full backs were getting forward in the early stages, and Simon Poulsen drove a shot wide in the early stages, before Lars Jacobsen overhit a cross, and another Poulsen burst ended in a deflected cross that just evaded Tomasson.
Denmark had started the better, but Japan were so close to breaking the deadlock when Yoshito Ōkubo’s cross was met by Matsui, only for Thomas Sorensen to block the effort with his knee, before captain Makoto Hasebe drove an effort narrowly wide of the top corner.
Back at the other end, Tomasson was inches away with a curling low effort, before Honda’s moment of magic.
Lining up a free kick wide on the right flank, and around 30 yards from goal, the CSKA Moscow midfielder crashed an astonishing left footed effort past a despairing Sorensen for one of the goals of the tournament, although the Denmark goalkeeper will think that he could have done better.
Tomasson just failed to connect with a teasing Christian Poulsen through ball soon after, before another Japanese free kick led to another goal.
This time the ball was set centrally and closer to goal, and as the Danes no doubt waited for Honda to try his luck again, Endō stepped up and curled a delightful effort into the bottom corner with his right foot.
The Danes were stunned, and couldn’t get a foothold in the rest of the half after that, before Sorensen almost gifted the Japanese a third goal from yet another free kick at the beginning of second half.
Endō’s harmless cross appeared comfortable for the goalkeeper, but he somehow spilt the ball onto his post, before Matsui blazed the rebound over.
The ageing Tomasson twice went close in the early stages of the second period, before Jakob Poulsen’s long range effort stung the palms of Eiji Kawashima, who then saved Daniel Agger’s free kick.
Teenage substitute Christian Eriksen livened up the Danes, and his right foot shot flew narrowly over, before Tomasson snatched at Dennis Rommedahl’s cross with the goal gaping.
Substitute Søren Larsen’s stunning strike hit the crossbar, before Denmark were given a lifeline by Hasebe’s shove on Agger in the penalty area ten minutes from time.
Tomasson – who hadn’t scored for his country for two-and-a-half years and had endured a torrid night – saw his weak kick saved by Kawashima, but he followed up the effort and scuffed the rebound into the bottom corner.
The goal only served to inspire the Japanese though, and some superb skill from Honda fooled Dennis Rommedahl, before the midfielder drew Sorensen and squared for Okazaki to sidefoot into an empty net.
The goal made the Japanese jubilant and deflated the Danes, ensuring that it will be the Asian side who face Paraguay in the second round next Tuesday night, and rightly so.
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