GROUP E/Denmark 1 Japan 3:JAPAN BECAME the latest side to inflict misery on a European nation last night as Takeshi Okada's charges made a mockery of claims that the World Cup ball is impossible to control by scoring two exquisite free-kicks to progress to the last 16 at Denmark's expense.
The vast majority of set pieces at this tournament have been largely forgettable, with the notorious Jabulani balls carrying more threat to supporters than goalkeepers so far. Yet Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo showed they have mastered the required technique by slotting home two brilliant first-half strikes that left Thomas Sorensen bamboozled.
Although Jon Dahl Tomasson reduced the arrears nine minutes from time from the penalty spot, the 1992 European champions were largely outplayed and never looked capable of producing a comeback to secure the victory they needed.
Japan’s performance was not only about free-kicks. They attacked with verve and might have scored several more goals before Shinji Okazaki’s late strike sealed Denmark’s fate. On this form, Japan stand an excellent chance of beating Paraguay to reach their first quarter-final.
The display was as dazzling as it was unexpected. The Asian side had, after all, been excruciatingly negative in their opening matches and began with extreme caution again here. Indeed, Yuto Nagatomo and Endo were both booked for time-wasting, and the pattern looked set as the Danes poured forward with intent.
This, however, would be a different Japan from the one that desperately defended an early goal against Cameroon and went into its shell against the Netherlands.
The first indication of what was to come arrived on 13 minutes when Yoshito Okubo’s diagonal pass was flicked goalwards by Daisuke Matsui, prompting a fortuitous save from Sorensen with his leg. Skipper Makoto Hasebe then sprinted free in the box only to fizz a shot over the top corner.
If confidence was slowly returning in the Japanese ranks, it began positively flooding back when Honda scored a contender for goal of the tournament on 18 minutes. The forward ambled up to the dead ball some 30 metres from goal and merely brushed it with his left foot. Sorensen must have felt he had it covered but the ball accelerated and swerved dramatically away from the Sunderland goalkeeper before nestling in the corner.
The goal hit Denmark hard and they were chasing shadows for the remainder of the first period. With Matsui, Okubo and Hasebe darting forward from midfield to make runs beyond Honda – who plays in midfield for CSKA Moscow but is excelling in his new role as a lone striker – Japan were carving through a disorientated Danish defence.
On the half-hour, Per Kroldrup was reduced to hauling Okubo to ground as the tiny midfielder latched on to a perfectly-timed return ball from the outstanding Honda. Anticipating another swerving Honda free-kick, Sorensen was totally caught out by Endo’s right-footed curler around the wall, this time to the goalkeeper’s left.
Soon after Sorensen at least got a finger to an Endo free-kick, pushing the ball on to his post to avoid further embarrassment.
Denmark looked well beaten even before half-time. Nicklas Bendtner’s tame free-kick into the wall early in the second period contrasted vividly with Japan’s efforts and merely highlighted the hopelessness of their plight.
Tomasson should have done better than poke a shot wide after collecting Bendtner’s flick, and the Feyenoord forward made a complete hash of Rommedahl’s cutback on 70 minutes.
Olsen sent on Ajax’s talented teenager Christian Eriksen and giant striker Soren Larsen and both went close to registering a consolation goal. Eriksen showed his quality with a crisp right-footed volley over the bar, while Larsen struck a fine left-footed effort against the bar.
By now, though, Japan were playing well within themselves. They finally conceded when Daniel Agger was shoved over by Hasebe in the box, Tomasson scoring on the rebound after Kawashima had saved his poor penalty. But rather than spark a Danish comeback the goal brought Japan back to life.
Man of the match by quite some distance, Honda showed his class again on 87 minutes, brilliantly pirouetting past the last defender and serving up a third goal on a silver plate for Okazaki.
It was another clinical Japanese goal and it capped an exceptional display.
