World Cup: Group E Preview

Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

The Dutch are once again a sexy pick to make a deep run, potentially to the very end. But it’s never that easy in the World Cup. Yes, the Oranje are easily the most talented and tested team in Group E, but there are snakes in the weeds in the form of Cameroon and Denmark. Cameroon, for one, are in their sixth World Cup out of the last eight, and the soccer world still vividly remembers their wild run to the quarterfinals in 1990. And beware the Danes, who have a not-so-secret weapon up top and a battle-tested midfield that could prove dangerous. Japan are largely out of their depth, especially after just one win in 10 World Cup matches all-time.

FIFA Ranking: 4

Coach: Bert van Marwijk (Netherlands)

World Cup Appearances: 8 (Best finish: finals – 1974, 1978)

Intro: The Dutch are perhaps the most attractive team to watch in the Cup, not just for those retina-burning orange kits. Their offensive firepower alone is reason enough to expect them to waltz through this group unscathed, but the real hurdles always come down the line. In 2006 it was Portugal who stopped the Dutch 1-0 in a memorable battle with 16 yellow cards and a World Cup-record four reds. But they’re seemingly in amazing form this time around, with exhibition wins over the US, Mexico, Ghana and Hungary heading into South Africa.

WATCH: NETHERLANDS: TEAM PROFILE

WATCH: NETHERLANDS: ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP

Star Power: Arsenal’s Robin van Persie seems to be back in form at the right time for the Dutch, thanks to goals against Mexico, Ghana and Hungary in recent weeks. The potential loss, however, of Arjen Robben to a slight hamstring tear last week could spell trouble, and puts extra pressure on Inter Milan playmaker Wesley Sneijder[WATCH: PLAYER PROFILE] to set up van Persie and create the offensive spark that fuels the Oranje.

MLS Connection: Dutch players have come and go over the years in MLS (paging Dave van den Bergh), but the Fire’s Collins John was a short-lived up-and-comer with the Oranje in 2004.

FIFA Ranking: 36

Coach: Morten Olsen (Denmark)

World Cup Appearances: 3 (Best finish: quarterfinals – 1998)

Intro: The Danes are back after a brief hiatus, looking to recapture the form that made them FIFA’s No. 3 team in the world in 1997. But it won’t be easy. Denmark are the slowest team in this group, meaning they’ll rely heavily on grinding out results on the merit of their veterans and trying to control the tempo of each match. The results lately have been sour: they’ve lost 1-0 matches to both Australia and South Africa in the weeks leading up to the World Cup, meaning they have some work to do before opening their slate with the Netherlands.

WATCH: DENMARK: TEAM PROFILE

WATCH: DENMARK: ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP

Star Power: One of this group’s most promising players is 6-foot-4 Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner, but he’s likely to miss the opening match with a thigh injury. Captain Jon Dahl Tomasson[WATCH: PLAYER PROFILE] has more than 100 caps with the team and is a regular with Dutch side Feyenoord, but he has also battled injuries of late. Christian Poulsen is perhaps the best Dane outside the triage unit, but he’s a somewhat polarizing figure who’s faced disciplinary issues in the past.

MLS Connection: Kansas City Wizards goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen was a teammate of Danish national team stalwart Dennis Rommedahl on the Danes’ U-21 team in 1999.

FIFA Ranking: 45

Coach: Takeshi Okada (Japan)

World Cup Appearances: 3 (Best finish: 2nd round – 2002)

Intro: The Blue Samurai are steadily gaining traction in Asia, entering their fourth straight World Cup. Unfortunately, the team’s talent pool hasn’t necessarily become any deeper. Less than a handful of players on the roster have cut their teeth with club teams outside of Japan, so it’s unlikely they’ll be celebrating in Tokyo after group play. But every World Cup match is a step taken in the right direction for a nation looking to build on the experience in the future.

WATCH:JAPAN: TEAM PROFILE

WATCH: JAPAN: ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP

Star Power: The first Japanese player to score in the Champions League was midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura [WATCH: PLAYER PROFILE], who made Japanese soccer history with Celtic in 2006. Yasuhito Endō was named the Asian Player of the Year in 2009, and goes by the nickname “Mr. Cool” in Japan. And Keisuke Honda is an outspoken playmaker who scored the game-winner to push CSKA Moscow past Sevilla and into the Champions League quarterfinals in March.

MLS Connection: Colorado’s Kosuke Kimura has yet to make a dent with the national team, but he became the first Japanese player in MLS history in 2007.

FIFA Ranking: 19

Coach: Paul Le Guen (France)

World Cup Appearances: 5 (Best finish: quarterfinals – 1990)

Intro: The Indomitable Lions’ days of sneaking up on teams are done, but that doesn’t mean they’re getting their due. Cameroon have as good a chance at reaching the knockout stages as any of Africa’s record six teams in the tournament, thanks in part to former Lyon and PSG coach Le Guen and Inter Milan striker Samuel Eto’o. Cameroon haven’t skimped on the pre-tourney competition, either: they’ve played Slovakia, Portugal and Serbia in the last few weeks leading up to South Africa, and came away with a 0-2-1 mark. Still, don’t sleep on this team. Twenty years after their best finish, they could be back for more.

WATCH: CAMEROON: TEAM PROFILE

WATCH:CAMEROON: ROAD TO THE WORLD CUP

Star Power: Thanks to Inter’s 2-0 win over Bayern Munich in last month’s Champions League final, Sameul Eto’o [WATCH: PLAYER PROFILE] became the first African player to win two consecutive European Trebles (he won with Barcelona in 2009). Midfielder Jean Makoun struggled this season with Lyon, but is still a valuable commodity and currently on the radar for Tottenham and Arsenal. And Alex Song is a versatile midfielder already with the Gunners, and was Cameroon’s best player at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations.

MLS Connection: New York Red Bulls rookie Tony Tchani could realistically be part of Cameroon’s plans someday if he can build on a promising start in MLS.

Group Dynamics: There shouldn’t be much drama about who finishes at the top (Netherlands) or the bottom (Japan) of this group. Like a bad cafeteria meatloaf, the real question marks lie somewhere in the middle. Denmark are inconsistent and battling injuries at an inopportune time, meaning it will be tough to hang with the Dutch or even possibly get a full three points from Japan. Cameroon, meanwhile, would realistically be disappointed without sinking the Danes and possibly earning a draw against the Netherlands. Expect the group to hinge on the Cameroon-Denmark matchup on June 19, when a hopefully healthy Bendtner stakes his claim as a top striker against the returning champion, Eto’o. But don’t place your office bets on anything sneaky: The Dutch are on a mission, and they’ve got the talent to get them there.

Don’t Miss This Match: Cameroon vs. Netherlands, 6/24, 2:30 pm ET

The Cameroon-Denmark match might mean more to the group, but this one will be the most interesting. To see two of the game’s premier strikers—Eto’o and van Persie—on the biggest stage is a treat, and both teams like to counter with speed. Fun, fun, fun. This one is a highlight reel waiting to happen.

Full Schedule (all times ET)

June 14: Netherlands vs. Denmark (7:30 am), Japan vs. Cameroon (10 am)

June 19: Netherlands vs. Japan (7:30 am), Cameroon vs. Denmark (2:30 pm)

June 24: Cameroon vs. Netherlands (2:30 pm), Denmark vs. Japan (2:30 pm)

MLSsoccer.com Prediction

1. Netherlands

2. Cameroon

3. Denmark

4. Japan