FIFA World Cup 2010, Group E: Netherlands vs Cameroon - Full Time Report
The Dutch walked onto the pitch knowing that they were already through to the knockout stages, and this match was a mere formality for them. Cameroon, however, were at the bottom of the table, already out of the World Cup and were only playing this match for their pride.
Robin van Persie scored first; as Netherlands went on to beat Cameroon two goals to one. Van Persie's opener was cancelled out by Samuel Eto’o’s sixty-fifth minute penalty which was clinically slotted home. The penalty kick was awarded after Van der Vaart handled the ball in the area.
Holland’s second goal came on the eighty third minute, when substitute Arjen Robben's shot came off the post and fell kindly for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, who calmly slotted it home. The Dutch extended their unbeaten run to twenty two matches in a row, the longest winning streak any Dutch team has achieved to date.
They go into the knockout round finishing on top of the table above Japan, Denmark and Cameroon. They will now be facing Slovakia in Durban on Monday. Slovakia finished on top of their group after beating former world champions Italy.
Cameroon played some decent football, which was much better compared to the way they played in their opening games. But on the thirty-sixth minute, Van Persie combined with Van der Vaart and split their resilient defence open before calmly placing his shot in between the onrushing goalkeeper Souleymanou's legs.
Van Persie is now amongst the elite group of Dutch players to have scored in two different World Cups, and by doing so, he joins the likes of Rob Rensenbrink, Dennis Bergkamp and Johnny Rep.
Dutch captain Giovanni Van Bronckhorst has also announced that he will be retiring from club and International football after the completion of the current World Cup in order to take up a coaching post at 'Feyenoord'.
The match was not at all one-sided, with Cameroon stringing together a series of passes on numerous occasions. They were playing as though they had a point to prove. Cameroon spent most of the first half absorbing the Dutch attack; however, after the break they took the game to them instead.
All this attack finally paid off, and the Dutch keeper Maarten Stekelenburg was forced to make a series of fine saves. His resistance finally wore off after the Cameroonians were awarded a penalty which, as mentioned earlier, was expertly tucked away by Samuel Eto’o.
The replacement of Van Der Vaart with Robben on the seventy-third minute was the key to the Dutch victory. The whole game changed with his arrival, with the Dutch now looking even more menacing. It was eventually the super sub Robben's fine effort which came back off the post to Huntelaar's feet and led to the match winning goal. The main concern for the Dutch would be the number of yellow cards that were picked up by their key players. Van Bronckhorst, Dirk Kuyt and Van der Vaart all were shown the yellow card, but the match was not at all dirty in any manner. However, these yellows may come back to haunt the Dutch in the future.
To sum it up, the Dutch win and are the group E leaders, whereas the Cameroonians were sent home at the bottom of the table with no points to take with them.
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