Cameroon (National Football)

Wow! The holders of the 2006 FIFA World Cup are out in the first round - winless and bottom of their group. Also exiting stage left are New Zealand, Cameroon and, a little more shockingly, Denmark.

Italy (E)

This grade is more about Italy's overall disappointing performance over three games rather than today's effort (which would have been a C-), where they lost 3-2 to upstart Slovakia. What amazed us was Marcelo Lippi's management skills. At 1-0 down, Lippi refused to change things, despite the fact that his country was in the crapper. Where was Pirlo, who was brilliant when he came on and was Italy's man of the match?

The Italians will probably curse the officials for an offside that was as close as they come, and for not giving the team more time because of Slovakian second half time-wasting.  However, it was the appalling defending that let in the first goal, and the lack of marking for the second that really cost them - as well as two inept performances against Paraguay and New Zealand. What's next? Ignominy and a rude reception in Rome upon their return.

Slovakia (B+)

When the Slovakian players weren't constantly falling to the floor, they were actually quite good footballers. They passed the ball well, finished chances given to them, and definitely contributed to one of the most exciting games of football you'll ever likely see. We look forward to more of them soon.

What's next? The second round, and a tie against the Netherlands - who will probably beat them handily.

Netherlands (B-)

We didn't see too much of Holland in their group games, but did they ever really get out of second gear? The Netherlands have a devastating amount of talent at their disposal, and that's why we reckon they are hot favourites to at least get to the semi-finals. Nine points out of a possible nine isn't a bad way to start a tournament - England would have loved another win, wouldn't they? What's next? Slovakia, and then the quarterfinals.

New Zealand (A)

We expected 'The All Whites' to get slaughtered in their three group games, and how wrong we were. Today's effort against Paraguay was yet another plucky effort, and we loved seeing the team play in black.

They battled for every inch of their turf once again, and anyone who is a New Zealander should be proud of their country's efforts over the last few weeks. We just wish they'd scored a victory to really upset the world, and seen a haka. We missed both. What's next? Hopefully an incredible reception in Auckland.

Japan (B)

Japan play some pretty football, and they can also shoot. Just ask Denmark keeper Thomas Sorenson, who let through two of the loveliest free-kicks you're ever likely to see. Driven on by Honda, their striker (no pun intended), Japan were skillful, continually remembering to actually move for a pass - something that England struggled to do against Algeria. What's next? A monster, but winnable clash with Paraguay.

Paraguay (C)

If you want to scare people, it's probably not the best of results to only draw with New Zealand, is it? If we're honest, we weren't too in love with Paraguay after the Italy game, and we aren't feeling the same for them this time, despite the fact that they finished top of their group. What's up? Japan.

Cameroon (D)

I had to laugh at the nickname 'The Indomitable Lions', because Cameroon proved to be anything but indomitable in South Africa. They were outclassed by the Dutch, and will go home having ventured little and gained nothing. What's next? Regrouping before the next African Nations Cup.

Denmark (C)

It must be really annoying for a set of fans to see their team go out of the World Cup when, once again, they were expected to at least go to the second round. But tonight, they were outclassed by Japan, who won 3-1 in a superb game between sides needing the victory to guarantee qualification for the knock-out stages.

Denmark will be looking to give Niklaus Bendtner shooting lessons when all is said is done, as he missed another two good chances in Thursday's game. What's next? European qualifiers, and reminding the crowing Swedish fans which country actually made the finals.

It's a tale of two tournaments this afternoon, as group favorites the Netherlands seek to continue their winning ways against surprise cellar-dwellers Cameroon.

Don't let the two teams' standings at opposite ends of the Group E table fool you. Poor tactics and unlucky finishing undid Cameroon in their first two matches, but the Indomitable Lions, based on talent alone, are the second best team in this group. Despite their mathematical elimination, they will look to restore a modicum of pride by playing all-out against the always attack-minded Dutch.

For their part, the Dutch have looked masterful in dissecting the bunkered-down defensive formations of the Danes and the Japanese. They have yet to test their aging back line against a striker of Samuel Eto'o's calibre, and Joris Mathijsen and Giovanni van Bronckhorst will be hard put to preserve their spotless record against the Cameroonian super star.

Will Oranje complete the Cameroonian declawing, or will the Lions expose and eviscerate the fleshy underbelly of the Dutch Goliath? Either way, this match is bound to produce some top-notch scoring! Follow along with me, Mycroft, your favorite armchair analyst, as Cameroon take on the Netherlands at 2:30 p.m. E.S.T. on ESPN2.

                                              

FINAL ANALYSIS: What a disappointing tournament for Cameroon. Three one goal losses; each time they looked better than the last. Le Guen will have a lot of questions to answer if he ever returns to Yaounde with the team.

Heartbreak for Eto'o. Heartbreak for the veterans Rigobert Song, Pierre Webo, and Geremi Njitap.

If there's a ray of hope, it's that this team has a solid and very young foundation upon which to build for future success. With Samuel Eto'o already 29, though, where will the goals come from in the future? This team needs wingers, strikers, and a coach who knows how to make use of the squad he's been given.

For the Netherlands, things are looking up. Of all the favorites so far, they join Argentina as one of the two most dominant, and they join Brazil as one of the two most competent.

With a second round match-up against Slovakia to look forward to, the only thing this team really needs to worry about before the quarterfinal is taking their next opponent seriously.

With Robben healthy, van Persie healthy, and the defense looking solid, if not intimidating, could this be their year?

'92: FULL TIME is called, and for one team there's a long flight home and and sack full of "what ifs," while for the other it's a short rest before preparing for a surprising Slovakian side that took down Italy earlier today.

'90: Two minutes of extra time. Apparently Japan have scored a third goal and it's now 3-1.

'89: Huntelaar may be a cherry-picker, but he deserved a penalty for that clobbering he just took from Mbia. Perhaps a pity call from the referee?

'88: Cameroon seem to have accepted their fate. Their effort has cooled since the second Dutch goal. Three matches, three losses, but they've had the chance to win all three.

'87: Makoun can't believe he's tripped over himself again. He'd have had a decent chance if he hadn't stumbled over the ball.

'83: 2-1 to the Netherlands!

Closing in on the end of the match and Arjen Robben took a criminal mis-touch in space to almost lose his chance. Instead of a breakaway chance, he dribbled around to the top of the box and let loose a cannon of a shot that struck the post. The rebound sailed across the mouth of goal to a wide open Huntelaar.

It's a cheap one for the Hunter, but a good snapshot of what the return of Robben means for his side.

'82: Mbia earns a yellow card for a handball. The free kick is a close call, but it is cleared for a corner.

'80: With his shoulder-length dreads, beard, and 'stache all bleached blond, the massive Rigobert Song looks every inch the Indomitable Lion.

'77: And yes there is still a match going, lineup changes and all.

Mbia's blistering free kick effort was blocked by Heitinga's shoulder, which should turn black and blue overnight. Cameroon recovered the ball on the wing, but Eto'o was just off side there. What a shame.

How did this Cameroon team only manage one goal so far? If not for the Italian self-immolation and the French conflagration, this would have been the biggest under-achivement story of the tournament.

'74: God bless you, Paul Le Guen (but only a little). The veteran and long time captain, Rigobert Song, has taken the pitch in his fourth World Cup. Cameroon's most capped player, and one of the world's most accomplished internationals gets into the game.

I can see the almost palindromic headline now: Song's Swan Song!

'73: Arjen Robben has entered the game now! Rafael van der Vaart is off just in time, and the speedy winger will get his first appearance of the tournament.

'71: Mustoe's been saying it's been a good match for both teams and I have to agree. Cameroon are really looking strong, but the Dutch have been the model of composure for most of the match.

Idrissou is coming on for Choupo-Moting, who has not done much in this.

'70: And another poorly judged tackle from the Dutch gives van Bronckhorst a yellow card. Two yellow cards to key players could become a story line in the next round.

'69: Another deep free kick opportunity for van der Vaart. Please don't tell me that was supposed to be a shot. You've just embarrassed yourself there, Rafi.

'67: Nigel de Jong hasn't had much to say for himself thus far, but he almost announced his presence with a great goal off of a free kick. The shot went just wide of the post, and the heat is on for both keepers

'66: Elia has come on for the flagging Kuyt. This youngster can run.

'65:1-1!!

Samuel. Eto'o. Does. Not. Miss. Those. He might have telegraphed the location of the shot to Stekelenburg, who dove the right way, but Eto'o's shot was unstoppable.

The Cameroonian minority in the stands got what they came for, but they may get more. This match is getting started in earnest.

'65: And it's a hand ball!! The ball made a fleshy "thwack" as it hit off of van der Vaart's arm and it's a penalty opportunity for Eto'o!

'64: The Lions look far more comfortable in the 4-3-3 than they did the first time around. Makoun has earned a dangerous free kick and i looks like Geremi will take it. What a thing if he can score here?

'62: Was that a Peter Crouch sighting? Vincent Aboubakar, despite his ridiculously lanky frame, put on a stepover clinic there and found  Jean Makoun wide open inside the box. Makoun took a terribly lame shot one-on-one with the keeper, but these are the high-flying Indomitable Lions I wanted to see!

'60: Brilliant weaving run from Samuel Eto'o. He beat two men and was in on goal before the last second goal-saving tackle from Mathijsen robbed him. Better play from Cameroon as they seem to be picking things up with half an hour remaining.

'59: van Persie is coming off for Klaas Jan Huntelaar, the black sheep of the AC Milan bench.

'56: Vincent Aboubakar, the striker, is coming on for Gaetan Bong. This should mean a more offensive approach from the Indomitable Lions from here on in. The formation is changing as I type!

When will the fire works come?

'53: I'd like to see Cameroon start playing with the same urgency they displayed when down to Denmark. I know it's a meaningless game, but they need to salvage some pride here.

'51: van Persie wiiide open again; he receives it perfectly, but he's forced to take the shot with his right foot, or as he calls it, his "chocolate leg." Needless to say, the shot did not trouble the keeper.

'48: I certainly do hope Alex's uncle Rigobert makes it on to the pitch. Cameroon have nothing to lose and he would become the firs African player to appear in four World Cups. What has  Le Guen got to lose, I wonder?

'46: And we're off again in the second half. As an Arsenal supporter, it's good to see van Persie get his (first?) goal, but I'm hoping there's nothing wrong with Alex Song. Chedjou started in his place, but he's not on for the 2nd half either.

HALFTIME: With essentially no stoppages to speak of, the referee seemed in a hurry to head to the locker room. I hope he didn't drink too much water before the match.

Cameroon have looked a far more solid side all over the pitch than they did against Japan and Denmark. They've not only held their own agaisnt the Dutch, but they've really controlled the flow of the game.

For their own part, the Dutch haven't seemed in a hurry to stretch the field or take the match to Cameroon. Rarely have they done anything faster than at a jog, but they've still managed to show off their versatility by using the few chances they've created with deadly efficiency.

This match could easily be 1-0 to Cameroon right now, but 1-0 the Netherlands is more than appropriate.

Catch you on the flipside.

'45: Eto'o was almost through there, but he hasn't really troubled the Dutch so far.

Cameroon have created their fair share of chances, but as in the last match, the finishing touch is not there. If Eto'o had a legitimate striking partner, this team could have made some noise this tournament.

To be fair, I suppose that's like saying, "If Napoleon had an atom bomb at Waterloo..."

'43: Ignore the fact that his team is losing. Geremi is my man-of-the-match so far. Two more perfect crosses ask serious questions of the Dutch central defense. Heitinga was nowhere to be found, Mathijsen could barely get off the ground. How will they defend against these crosses in the knockout stages?

'40: Eto'o barely caught offside there. He'd have been through, but where has he been thus far. That may be the first time he's given any reason to call his name in 15 minutes.

'38: Great line from the color commentator: "Bong is strong."

Cameroon seem to have woken up a bit. They've challenged the Dutch back line since the goal.

'36: And Robin van Persie has opened his tally with a great strike! I wonder if the Dutch squad heard the score of the Japan-Denmark match. A lovely pass, perfectly weighted, put the Arsenal striker alone in behind the Cameroonian defense, and he 'megged the helpless keeper from eight yards out to give his side the 1-0 lead.

'32: Great string of passes from the Dutch to get their closest chance so far. The shot was off line, but that was good penetration. I wonder if they're feeling the Japanese breathing down their nets? The other match is at 2-0 now...

'31: Excellent cross from Geremi! How did Makoun not get over that? he had a wide open header. Stekelenburg was nowhere to be found. It could be 1-0 to Cameroon if not for that miss.

'30: Cameroon not looking like much in the offensive third. This match is ALL midfield. The Dutch would still win the group with a draw, but what does that say about their form going forward?

'28: Criminy, I hear Japan actually scored in the other match. Say it ain't so!

'26: Poor decision from Mbia and a dangerous free kick for the Netherlands. Hamidou, impressively, wraps up the shot. He saw it all the way, but it was important not to give up the rebound, as Kuyt was charging hard.

'25: We're past the halfway point in the first half and three names I was expecting to use a lot more are "Kuyt," "Van der Vaart," and "Et'o."

The Dutch wingers have been out of it, except for a little work from van der Vaart in the last couple of minutes. Still, I doubt he's broken a sweat.

My biggest question is where is Eto'o? Cameroon's all-time leading scorer has been anonymous.

'21: When Cameroon are in possession, the Netherlands is squeeeeezing them into one side of the pitch or the other. They might be too full of delicious Dutch chocolate, but for their own part, I'm surprised that the Dutch wingers are not working the flanks at all.

'19: van Persie offside...again. This is becoming a theme in the match, but the space is there if he can time his runs better. Come on, you Gunner!

'17: This is my problem with leaving Achille Emana out of the lineup: How do Cameroon move the ball forward through a packed midfield without their only attacking midfield player?

Dirk Kuyt picked up a senseless yellow card just there. What can he have been thinking? Peace and love, mate. Peace and love.

'15: A Frank de Boer sighting on the sideline! Dennis Bergkamp being my favorite player of all time, it's good to see the man who fed him the ball for that greatest of all Bergkamp goals (which is saying something).

What's the Dutch for "golazo"?

'13: Another deep free kick opportunity from Geremi comes to naught, but Cameroon are looking sound.

The Dutch are clearly playing with no urgency, but I'm liking the shape the Lions are keeping despite Kuyt and van Persie's best efforts to unstitch them.

'10: Geremi's free kick is not very well cleared by Stekelenburg, and the end result is a corner kick to Cameroon. The Lions haven't gotten wide as much as I'd have expected. They seem to be funnelling into the middle of the pitch, but the pace is good.

Who will score first?

'9: Miiiiiiiiles of space for van Persie, but he's offside.

'4: Beautiful touch from van Persie. He's been largely anonymous so far, but I expect to hear from him by the tournament's end.

That was Chedjou with that shot on goal just now. It looks like Mbia is in the back, and Chedjou is in the center of the midfield with Makoun.

'3: Interesting. It seems that despite appearing on the lineup card, Alex Song is not in the match. Aurelian Chedjou, who has yet to play, is starting instead, but I believe he's a center-back. This means Mbia may be in his natural midfield position, rather than the back line.

'1: Great start for Cameroon, though the cross was poor. I've said it before and I'll say it again. How did this team lose to Japan?

'1: And we're off!

Match time -3: Seeing that sea of orange in the stands was pretty intimidating. It gave me a premonition of a terrible Cameroonian defeat, but I am confident that they will acquit themselves with honor in this last match. I think the Dutch win it, 3-1 or so, but I'd love to see the Lions keep it close late and maybe tally multiple goals on their way out.

2:25 p.m. E.S.T.: Wow, I love the Indomitable Lions, but their national anthem is about as discordant as their play in the last two matches.

2:20 p.m. E.S.T.: I'm looking forward to keeping track of Denmark-Japan. I love many things Japanese, including films, literature, food, and people, but the way they play is anathema to me. They do not play offense. Period. It's like catenaccio without the pretense of attacking.

Alexi Lalas just said it, but if Denmark scores one goal, they've won the game. Frankly, I really hope they do. They are by far the more deserving side. Also, I live in the hope of being able to cover the "next" Denmark match, and deploying my favorite nickname for Nicklas Bendtner once again. I really hope "the Red Baron" catches on.

2:14 p.m. E.S.T.: ESPN2 has finally switched to the pre-match show. I was getting a little worried there, considering kick-off is barely 15 minutes away.

2:07 p.m. E.S.T.: So, I like coming up with playlists and theme songs for all sorts of things. (See this article if you're not already a Mycroft Holmes devotee).

I've been trying to come up with a good song to represent the Landon Donovan game-winner against Algeria. Any suggestions?

2:02 p.m. E.S.T.: I picked Brazil over Germany in the final, which I stand by, but this Dutch team have looked far more composed than I expected. If they can maintain this level of maturity and keep the infighting to a dull roar, they may prove dangerous.

I'm still suspicious of their defensive lineup, though. Khalid the Cannibal and Gregory van der Wiel do not inspire confidence, and Joris Mathijsen and Gio von Bronckhorst need to be oiled at the joints like the Tin Man.

1:58 p.m. E.S.T.: I talked to my sister, who's in New York, and I want to believe that they've declared a day of mourning across all of lower Manhattan, or at least in Little Italy. Can anyone confirm?

The French had to fly coach into a out-of-the-way airport. I bet the Italian Federation will give each of its players a water bottle, a book of matches, and a rifle and tell them to walk home.

1:55 p.m. E.S.T: God love them! That Isner-Mahut marathon is over. I didn't realize they were ever planning on finishing. I'd have been a little more excited to turn that match on for the third day in a row if it had been a little more like the Roddick-el Aynaoui classic from when I was in high school.

Isner-Mahut looked a lot more like pong whenever I tuned in.

1:45 p.m. E.S.T.: My first reaction to the Cameroonian lineup is a paraphrasal of my favorite Michael Bluth line from Arrested Development: "Him?"

Eric Choupo-Moting is in, Gaetan Bong is in, and Landry N'Guemo is making his long overdue World Cup debut for the Indomitable Lions. I suppose Bong is in for the honor of the occasion, but it's a real surprise to see Choupo-Moting on the lineup card instead of the veteran Pierre Webo, who will likely never play in the World Cup again.

I liked Choupo-Moting's performance in the first match, though it was uneven. There were times when he was really creative on the ball, but him over Webo?

I guess Paul Le Guen is really doing everything in his power to lose his job.

1:38 p.m. E.S.T.: The Cameroonian lineup, has once again undergone significant retooling from the previous match, reflecting the uneven results:

Hamidou

Assou-Ekotto - N'Koulou - Mbia - Bong

N'Guemo - Makoun - Song - Njitap (Geremi)

Eto'o - Choupo-Moting

1:32 p.m. E.S.T.: And here are your lineups. No real surprises for the Dutch. The only change is that veteran Stuttgart defender Khalid Boulahrouz will be starting in place of the yellow card-strung Gregory van der Wiel:

Stekelenburg

van Bronckhorst-Mathijsen-Heitinga-Boulahrouz

de Jong-van Bommel

van der Vaart-Sneijder-Kuyt

van Persie

1:28 p.m. E.S.T.: We'll go live with lineups shortly, but I'd like to preview the match with a brief tactical analysis.

The undefeated Dutch find themselves in the enviable position of having already qualified for the round of 16. Nonetheless, manager Bert van Marwijk is faced with the difficult assignment of striking a balance between the desire to rest some of his star players, and the need to keep his preferred starting XI sharp and cohesive.

I would expect no more than 1 or 2 changes from the starting lineup that took the pitch against Denmark and Japan. Injury-prone Robin van Persie would be my guess to sit out, along with youngster Gregory van der Wiel, who received a yellow card in the last match.

The Dutch play a 4-5-1 formation. But don't get me wrong; this is not your grandfather's 4-5-1 (nor is it the near comatose 4-5-1 that the Dutch faced over the weekend against Japan). The Dutch love to attack, and this match may see the return of one of their most electric wing players, Arjen Robben. Despite the lack of urgency, I expect them to attempt to dominate possession and exploit Cameroon's suspect wing defense.

Cameroon will look to do the same thing in this match that they did in creating a myriad scoring chances against Denmark, though they will hope for better finishing this time around. When properly balanced, the Indomitable Lions are able to produce lots of dangerous crosses from the overlapping runs of their full-backs and wing midfielders. At the same time, Achille Emana and Samuel Eto'o are capable of tearing through opposing defenses straight up the gut.

The problem for Cameroon is defensive discipline. If they hope to win this match, they must not overextend themselves going forward. If they concede the first goal, this match could get ugly or boring, depending on how they react.

On the day Nicolas Anelka was sent home by France for insulting coach Raymond Domenech and Wayne Rooney apologised to England’s long-suffering fans, the World Cup provided unexpected late night thrills here in Pretoria.

I suspect not many changed their Saturday night party schedule for Denmark versus Cameroon at the Loftus Versfeld rugby stadium but hey, you might have been converted. A chilly night on the Highveld provided only the second come-from-behind victory of the tournament in 26 games as Denmark pulled off a 2-1 win. It could have ended 10-10.

The two no-hopers in Group E, after a literally and figuratively pointless opening round, provided seriously entertaining fare. It nearly rivalled the USA’s 2-2 draw with Slovenia (we won’t mention the injustice of that scoreline, it’s already been discussed at length) and Greece’s 2-1 win over Nigeria.

Cameroon struck early through the great Samuel Eto’o, formerly of Barcelona, now of Internazionale in Milan. The man who threatened to withdraw from the tournament when he was criticised by the legendary Roger Milla, really looked like Africa’s top player again, rousing the crowd and the continent with a great first-half display.

After just 10 minutes, the former African player of the year benefited from another mistake from Danish defender Simon Kjaer. After his own-goal in the 2-0 defeat against Holland, he played a terrible cross-field pass, picked up by Achille Webo.

He squared for Eto’o, who made no mistake to slot past Thomas Sorensen. And that was just the start. End-to-end stuff ensued, with Eto’o hitting a post and Dennis Rommedahl cutting repeated swathes through the Cameroon defence.

Somewhere in the middle of all the excitement, Arsenal’s lanky goal-misser Nicklas Bendtner slid in on a Rommedahl cross to level after 33 minutes.

A breathtaking first half was followed by a dramatic second. After 61 minutes, Rommedahl was at it again. Charlton fans may remember his searing pace – he played 75 games for them between 2004 and 2007. Undimmed by 31 years of being knocked over by stolid left backs, he tore past Jean Makoun and bent the winner past Hamidou Souleymanou.

Cameroon, desperate to prove a force in Africa’s first World Cup, hammered away at Sorensen’s goal for the last half-hour. But Africa’s highest-ranked nation in South Africa – they’re 19^th - couldn’t produce the leveller. Like Nigeria, they have no points after two games – it’s been a tough tournament for the continent.

Day eight of an increasingly absorbing World Cup opened with Holland joining Argentina as the only sides definitely through to the knock-out stages. Their 1-0 win over Japan was no classic but the magnificent Moses Mabhida Stadium was packed to the rafters with Orange shirts celebrating a second-successive win for their side.

The Dutch fans had closed the motorways between Pretoria and Durban – a five-hour, 400 mile drive through the snow-covered Drakensburg mountains – as they travelled in convoy to follow their side on Thursday.

  Bayern Munich’s Wesley Sneijder scored the only goal after 53 minutes. His firmly struck shot with the light Jabulani ball which appeared to deceive Japan goalkeeper Eiji Kawashima, who could only deflect the shot off his palms and into the net.

Japan coach Takeshi Okada, who looked close to tears at times during the game, said: “Our players tried everything they could. I'm really sorry for our supporters.”

Dutch coach Bert van Marwijk wasn’t fooled. This was hardly a classic case of Dutch total football. He said: “You've got to be happy about winning your first two games. But we can play better than that, and we'll have to.”

Then Ghana and Australia fought out a no-prisoners   1-1 draw in front of 33,000 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium – a result which leaves the Soccceroos hanging on by their fingernails.

Ghana saw off Serbia in their opening game while Australia were beaten heavily, 4-0, by Germany. But day seven saw Serbia shock the Germans 1-0 – Group D really may stand for Death.

The Aussies went ahead through the lively Brett Holman after just 11 minutes but disaster struck 14 minutes later. Harry Kewell blocked a goal-bound shot on the line with his right arm and was sent-off despite pleading “look at the big screen, I didn’t mean it” as Italian referee Roberto Rosetti produced his red card.

Asamoah Gyan stuck away his second penalty of the tournament and it looked like Ghana would take control – but by the death it was 10-man Australia who were doing all the pushing.

Aussie boss Pim Verbeek said: “I’m proud of the players – playing with a man less for that long is not easy. We’re still in the race but it’s going to be difficult now. We need to win against Serbia and score at least three or four goals. Ok, that’s the job.”

Look, I know I rattle on about these things but, unbelievably, they want me to speak at South Africa’s National Arts Festival on July 4. Yes, it’s ridiculous. Me? Arts? Anyway, here’s the details if you can make it: http://www.computicket.com/web/event/neal_collins_a_game_apart/148367625

Welcome to the Bleacher Report Live Blog for this significant Group E clash between Cameroon and Denmark!

Both sides lost their opening matches and have failed to tally a single goal between them to this point.

That should change today, since the Danes and the Cameroonians are desperate for a win to restore their hopes of advancing to the round of 16.

With two teams that play drastically different styles, a near even distribution of star power, and the inside track to second place riding in the balance, all signs point to a charged encounter between two evenly matched opponents.

If you're looking for a brief  x's and o's analysis of the two sides to get your strategic juices going, see my preview here. Otherwise, sit back; keep that mouse hovering over the refresh button, and don't spill your beer on the keyboard. This one should be a cracker!

                                                     

Signing off for b/r, this is your friendly neighborhood live blogger, Mycroft Holmes.

POST-MATCH ANALYSIS: Drunken vikings aside, Denmark have a lot to do to prepare for Japan. Both teams have three points, but Japan are even on goal differential, while Olsen's Eleven are still at -1.

They will need to take the game to Japan, as I'm sure the inscrutable East Asian side will be more than comfortable playing with 11 men behind the ball for 90 minutes and advance on goal differential. If their whole team could be on the pitch at once, they'd throw their manager in front of goal and play with 24 men behind the ball.

And I thought Italy was boring.

As for Cameroon, they can only kick themselves for the chances they missed. They looked truly dangerous for 85 minutes against a disciplined defensive side, but they could only score one goal for their efforts.

Paul Le Guen should be dismissed from his post after the tournament. I'm sure many Cameroon supporters would be happy if he never set foot on Cameroonian soil again.

Considering what this team showed today, how did this team lose to Japan?

FULL TIME: 2-1 Denmark. Vive le anti-Football, as Arsene Wenger derisively dubbed it.

One of the two snoozers will advance behind the Netherlands in this group, as Denmark have earned three important points to go level with Japan ahead of their June 24 showdown.

A well-deserved win for the more efficient Danes, but one can't help feeling for Cameroon, who are officially the first team eliminated. This tournament meant so much to so many of their players and fans.

'93: The match that seems to be winding down rather lamely. Cameroon look out of gas. Denmark deserve the win for their efficient display.

'90: 3 minutes of extra time gives Cameroon a chance. Can they steal a second goal?

'89: Cameroon seem over-dependent on Eto'o for their creativity on the attack. Jean Makoun was in possession with loads of space ahead of him, but he just kept looking for Eto'o, who was more-or-less out of play on the right side.

'87: A breakaway saving tackle from Kjaer earns him a yellow card that will keep him out of the Japan match. Cameroon had a dangerous free kick, but made ntohing of it.

'85: The Cameroon big men Idrissou and Aboubakar link up, but the header is high and offside to boot.

The Indomitable Lions may just earn the ignominy of being the first team officially eliminated.

'82: A tame effort from Bendtner ruins a lovely counter-attack, but before he can check to see that his hair is straight Cameroon have charged down the pitch themselves. Eto'o found Emana at the top of the box, but a shot from Idrissou deflected out for a corner.

'80: Idrissou, despite his size, can't get over the ball on another beautiful corner. He was all by himself in the middle and he sent it well high.

'77: And Emana ALMOST came up with the equalizer. A quick give-and-go put him in on goal, but his low shot was parried by Sorensen. One gets the feeling that if that had been Eto'o on the ball, we'd be knotted at two.

The replay shows that Emana might not have looked up once after entering the box.

Cameroon substitution: Tired old Pierre Webo has come off in favor of the youngster, Aboubakar.

'77: Denmark are retreating more and more into their own half. It will a great effort to tie this one.

'75: That's what Emana looks like! A puppy dog. Whenever he gets ahold of the ball the first thing he does is look to lay it at Samuel Eto'o's feet. This isn't fetch! Have a go, for goodness' sake!

'73: I don't much like what the lanky Mohammadou Idrissou brings to the table for Cameroon, but the 10-foot-tall attacker has been brought on for central defender Sebastien Bassong.

Cameroon have switched to a desperation three-attacker formation none-too-soon.

'71: And a WONDERFUL chance for Tomasson, who can't find the back of the net. Hamidou kept his poise and blocked the shot, but Tomasson should have had the insurance goal there. Criminally blown chance.

Both sides are slowing down considerably, but it's Denmark who look comfortable doing it. As I said at halftime, the first goal may end up be the all-important one, whatever the final scoreline.

'70: Never knew "phalanx" meant finger in Greek. There's your etymology lesson for the day!

'68: Denmark look to be falling back into a rigid phalanx, but unlike against the Samurai Blue, the Indomitable Lions are not rolling over. Can they find the equalizer?

'66: Kahlenberg on for Gronkjaer. He started the last match.

'63: Cameroon are creating some dangerous crosses, but Webo can't put the ball on target. This consistent pressure has to concern Morten Olsen and the Danish bench.

'61: Dennis Rommedahl breaks the ice in the second half to give Denmark a crucial 2-1 lead. It may have come against the run of play, but nobody could say it wasn't earned.

Rommedahl received the ball well on the wing, caught substitute Jean Makoun flat-footed, and curled a lovely left-footed shot beyond the fingers of the diving Hamidou on the far side.

That's a goal and an assist for Rommedahl, according to my tally.

'59: Meanwhile, Pierre Webo has embarrassed himself with a rugby-like shot attempt. Surprising to think a striker could go relatively anonymously through a match like this, but since Cameroon's goal, Webo has been just that.

'57: Having seen him a bit in La Liga and the Segunda Division, I can't understand why Emana is so trigger shy. He usually loves to shoot first and ask questions later.

His restraint is admirable, but I'd rather see him trying a few more shots  from distance.

'56: Simon Kjaer may have taken a decent knock, but all tournament-long he's been looking a little frail for my liking. I know he's been hyped to move to a Big Four EPL side, but does he have the stones and the strength?

'54:  I wonder what comes after the "Bronze shoe"? Copper piss pot, maybe?

'51: Emana probably deserved a free kick for his efforts on that play at the top of the box, but it wasn't given. His size and speed are wreaking havoc in the center of the Danish defense.

What can Le Guen have been thinking, leaving him out of the Japan match?

'50: Bendtner was almost free on goal, but his North London rival Bassong saved the day with a professional foul. First yellow card of the match, but not the worst one to take.

Free kick sailed well over the bar. Possible deflection, but a goal kick.

'48: A GREAT CROSS AGAIN from Cameroon. How did Assou-Ekotto fail to put some sort of touch on that. If he had, it would have been 2-1 to Cameroon.

'47: Cameroon already off on the right foot with a cracking header that just sailed over he bar from Marseille midfielder Stephane Mbia off a strong corner from Makoun.

'46: Some half time changes. Jean Makoun is in the lineup for Eyong Enoh, who was rather anonymous in the first period.

Denmark have replaced Jorgensen with Daniel Jensen.

HALFTIME ANALYSIS: One of my favorite mockable media cliches is the "rollercoaster ride," so for this match I'll go with the slightly more geometrical "ping-pong match."

Cameroon's early goal may have come from a terrible error from the Danish defense, but the Lions certainly earned it with their early pressure and strong wing play.

Denmark looked like pretenders going forward until the frenetic final ten minutes that saw the Bendtner goal and the back-and-forth attacking that had both sides looking like vintage Brazil on the counter-attack.

I can't imagine that they can keep up the same pace in the second half, but I wouldn't be surprised to see three or four goals, considering the way both teams are defending.

What's more likely is that the first team that scores, sobered by a halftime talking-to, will try to sit on their lead for most of the rest of the match. Who can get the all-important go-ahead goal in this one?

For Cameroon's part, they were ascendant until undisciplined play from Assou-Ekotto and Mbia allowed Denmark to get around the edges.

For Denmark, they need to stop playing out of the back and keep pressing the suspect Cameroon full backs.

'45+1: And we're at halftime. Excuse me while I check my blood pressure.

'44: Another bad giveaway. Denmark were almost punished just into first half stoppage time. Both coaches will want to talk to their defenders in the locker room.

'42: How is it not 2-2 right now?!?

Denmark stole an errant pass that looked to have them set up for a repeat of the Eto'o goal, but a last chance block from Song saved the day.

On the very next possession Cameroon had numbers forward on a stunning counter-attack that looked like a sure goal, but Eto'o struck the post.

Good Lord, I need some Rolaids at the break.

'41: The Cameroon full backs are really begging to be taken to the cleaners here.

'40: Alex Song is a beast. He's really been huge in the middle for Cameroon.

'37: Denmark have picked their spots and shown how dangerous they can be on the counter, but the sheer number of opportunities created by Cameroon has been astounding. If they'd been more efficient, the scoreline could be 3-1 now. Can they keep up this pace for 90 minutes, though?

'34: A textbook goal from Denmark and we're level at 1-1!

Rommedahl, who's been making a fool of Assou-Ekotto down the right wing, finds tons of spaces off of a beautiful long pass. A laser of a cross beat the keeper and the Cameroon central defense, finding Nicklas Bendtner at the six-yard box, who buried it.

I hope Alexi Lalas likes crow.

'31: This match has really opened up. It's a joy to watch, even if the ups and downs are making me a little queasy. Denmark's defense has been anything but solid, though they only conceded off of a bad turnover.

Cameroon's short-passing is really asking questions of the Danish defensive midfielders and defenders. Emana's missed a few chances to bury a goal of his own.

'29: On the Alex Song omission from the Japan match, a little bird told me that he has been fighting with Eto'o and Le Guen ever since the decision to strip his uncle Rigobert Song of the captain's band at the African Cup of Nations.

A great move into space by Emana, but yet another off-target effort from the Real Betis talisman.

'27: American football-worthy clearance from Sebastien Bassong. If he can't get back on the pitch for Spurs, he could always try his hand at punting in the NFL.

'24: Announcers are ragging on Bendtner...again. I wonder what they'll be saying if "the Red Baron" scores a goal or two?

'23: It's high time a word was invented to define that announcer's no man's land between half-hearted cross and over-ambitious shot. "Shoss"? "Crot"?

'22: Someone needs to remind Assou-Ekotto and Mbia that they're fullbacks. Cameroon look like they're playing with two defenders.

'20: Denmark collapsing the Cameroon defense much better in the last few minutes, but Alex Song is coming up big on crosses.

'17: Good from Denmark, but it was criminal of Rommedahl to miss the open man in the box. He may have taken his roommate's contact lenses this morning. Or do they not share rooms at this level?

'15: Denmark just look dishonest going forward. Bendtner's been anonymous thus far; the team look dreadfully uncomfortable in possession.

They're trying the left wing, but the runs keep ending in the midfield.

'12: Cleaning up a corner kick, Achille Emana almost grazed the post with a low shot. Cameroon is not letting up after their opener.

'10: JUST WHAT THE LIONS NEEDED: Cameroon pressing the Danish defense, who clearly don't like handling the ball, with THREE men, but Kjaer inexplicably tried to play it out wide. Webo picked off the pass and centered to the wide open Eto'o. The all-time leading scorer for Cameroon doesn't miss from there.

1-0 to the Indomitable Lions in the opening ten minutes. Dream of a start for Cameroon.

'9: Poor Cameroon corner kick, but they're gifted their second free kick in less than a minute. A useless shot from Geremi, though.

'7: Great pass and a great run by Rommedahl released the speedy winger on goal. His shot was high, but he caught the suspect Assou-Ekotto sleeping

'6: Weak shot from Eto'o. Surprising. But the first five minutes have shown Cameroon to be the far more driven team. Danish fullbacks look a little self-conscious pushing forward.

'4: How does Sammy do it? He's so strong for his size.

'1: Cameroon start well down the right flank. Assou-Ekotto stumbled looking for the shot, but they'll be looking for more such plays over the rest of the match.

2:30: Speaking of refs, let's have a last minute moment of silence for soon-to-be dismissed Koman Koulibaly. I hope this match will be remembered more for its football than for its officiating.

2:28: Bendtner is magnificently coiffed, as usual. I hope he didn't have to get up too early to get his hair done the way he likes it...

2:25: Alex Song looks like he just woke up. I hope they informed him he was playing before they arrived at the stadium. Eto'o looks bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, though. Cameroon's hopes will be riding on his ability to penetrate the top-notch Danish defense.

2:23: Still rather disapointed to see Souleymanou Hamidou as the Cameroon keeper. What can Le Guen have been thinking, starting him instead of Carlos Kameni?

2:18: McManaman is calling Samuel Eto'o "a little bit temperamental." Understatement of the century?

2:12: Interesting scuttlebutt from the dedicated English speaking press contingent that have traveled with the Cameroon squad is that manager Paul Le Guen has sort of lost control of the team behind the scenes. Perhaps not the same public disarray as Raymond Domenech's France squad. With reports of clashes of will between captain Eto'o and some of the team's prominent role-players, from Alex Song to Achille Emana, the Lions certainly don't seem to have the solidarity and discipline of the Danes. On top of their game, they're a lot more fun to watch, though!

2:02: Cameroon should be in their more natural 4-3-1-2 diamond formation with Achille Emana the central attacking midfielder behind Webo and Eto'o, Alex Song in the central defensive midfield role, and Eyong and Geremi on the left and right sides, respectively.

Look for Cameroon to stretch the field more than in the first match, with Tottenham full back Benoit Assou-Ekotto looking to overlap around Enong on the left wing and Geremi working the right channel as he has done since before the dawn of time.

2:00: Denmark are deploying two strikers in Tomasson and Bendtner, though Tomasson may play in a more supporting role. Can Denmark look as poised in taking the match to Cameroon as they did sitting back against the Netherlands?

1:53: Less than forty minutes till kick-off now.

Heading into the match, I'll be looking to see who takes the early advantage in possession. This should be a desperate contest, but an early goal may go a long way toward setting the tone for the match.

Both sides still have a lot to play for. A win would leave either side tied with Japan for 2nd place with 3 points. Denmark need to win by two to match Japan's goal differential, and Cameroon want to win big since their next match will be against group favorites the Netherlands, who are currently sitting on 6 points.

1:45: Cameroon's lineup changes suggest not only a more attack-minded approach, but the thorough reexamining of their opening match strategy.

Ineffective young striker Eric Choupo-Moting has been replaced by attacking midfielder Achille Emana, who will prove crucial to the Indomitable Lions' plans. Arsenal holding midfielder Alex Song, a surprise omission from the Japan lineup, will start in place of Jean Makoun. Veteran winger Geremi Njitap (known to most as Geremi), will be starting in the place of youngster Joel Matip, who looked so green on Monday that I wouldn't have been surprised to see him blowing chunks a la Donovan McNabb.

Both team fielded very young rosters in the first match. The lineup changes not only suggest their retooled strategies, but their renewed faith in veteran experience.

1:38: Partisans and World Cup junkies alike will take note of the lineup changes for both sides.

For Denmark: Young Enevoldsen, largely anonymous on the right wing in the first match, will be replaced by Greenland-born journeyman winger, Jesper Gronkjaer.

Thomas Kahlenberg will be replaced by veteran striker Jon Dahl Tomasson.

These moves suggest that Denmark will be looking to attack.

1:32 p.m.: Lineups have been released:

Cameroon:

Hamidou

Assou-Ekotto-NKoulou-Bassong-Mbia

Eyong-A. Song-Emana-Njitap

Webo-Eto'o (c)

Denmark:

Sorensen

S.B. Poulsen-Kjaer-Agger-Jacobsen

Jorgensen-Rommedahl-Tomasson-C. Poulsen-Gronkjaer

Bendtner

1:21 p.m. EST: For those of you watching at home, the match will be on ABC today, thanks to College World Series coverage on ESPN (Go Horned Frogs!) and...drag racing on ESPN2.

Good thing we've got our priorities straight.

Kick-off is at 2:30 p.m. EST, but coverage should start at 2 p.m.

Cameroon vs. Denmark, Saturday, June 17 at 2:30 p.m. EST

Loftus Versfeld Stadium, Pretoria.

Follow the live blog of the game here at Bleacher Report!

Cameroon captain Samuel Eto'o knows his legacy depends on the national team's results at the 2010 World Cup.

"At the end of this World Cup, [manager] Paul [Le Guen] will be accountable to his officials, who trusted him. And I, as a player and captain of this team, I will do the same," Eto'o told members of the press following Cameroon's shocking upset loss at the hands of group minnows Japan.

As Cameroon's all-time leading scorer and by far the most high profile player the small West African nation has ever produced, Eto'o is used to seeing an outsized share of the blame when his team falls short of expectations. Most recently, all-time great Indomitable Lion, Roger Milla, expressed doubts about Eto'o's national team commitment.

In response, Eto'o not only stoked the flames of his personal rivalry with the 58-year-old Milla, but threatened—somewhat unconvincingly—to leave the team on the eve of the World Cup. Perhaps it was inappropriate for Eto'o to make such a statement, but it was equally inappropriate for Milla to question his dedication to the national team cause.

Eto'o cares.

Eto'o also knows that the Indomitable Lions have never had greater expectations coming into the World Cup. For the first time in six tournament appearances, however, they shocked the world and their supporters alike by losing a match they definitely should have won.

If he is to forever silence his doubters, Eto'o knows he must lead his team into the knockout stages of the tournament. Though with Denmark coming up, and with the Netherlands on the horizon, it would take a miraculous recovery of form to do so.

Can Cameroon vanquish equally desperate Denmark and preserve their hopes of World Cup glory?

What to Expect From Denmark

Like Japan, Denmark are a counterattacking team.

Their strength is their solidly organized defense, led by such European stars as goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen and young central defenders David Agger and Simon Kjaer. Olsen's Eleven, as they are affectionately known, play a 4-5-1 formation that allows them to clamp down on the middle of the field and counterattack quickly along the wings when they win the ball.

Unlike the Japanese, who really lacked a credible offensive threat for most of the match on Monday, Denmark's lone striker, Nicklas Bendtner, is quite adept at his role. He is also supported by a host of talented playmakers, including Juventus' Christian Poulsen and Ajax veteran Dennis Rommedahl.

Bendtner, at 6'4" and 12 and a half stone, not only fits the physical mould of the ideal center forward, but knows his position well after over 100 appearances with Premiership club Arsenal. Bendtner's skill set combines excellent aerial ability with a a surprisingly soft passing touch. Thus, the towering Dane can hold the ball in the center of the field long enough for his teammates to slide into favorable positions, but he also possesses deadly finishing form that has netted him 11 national team goals in 33 matches.

On the defensive for most of the game against the Netherlands, Denmark only managed three shots on goal against a Dutch defense unit that is considered the team's weak point. As much as his team mustered a coherent threat, Bendtner was involved, but Denmark will look to improve on their overall offensive effort against Cameroon.

Hard Lessons for Cameroon

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it," said Edmund Burke.

In his post-match press conference, Le Guen showed no signs that he'd learned his lesson from the Japan match.

"We were tense and nervous, especially in the first half. We did not show what we are capable of. We were not at our level and kept losing possession."

While nothing he said wasn't true, it was shocking that Le Guen failed to mention the manifold strategic errors he made long before the opening whistle. The sole concession he made was that playing Eto'o on the wing, rather than in his usual central position, "didn't work."

Eto'o was out of place, to be sure, but that only scratches the surface of what was wrong with the team's deployment.

The Lions looked uncomfortable and unsure for the full 90 minutes in the 4-3-3 formation into which Le Guen forced them. They played with three defensive midfielders who, while all individually skilled, had no idea what to do in possession of the ball.

Furthermore, better defensive midfielders, like Alex Song and Landry N'Guemo were left on the bench in favor of untested youngsters Joel Matip and Eyong Enoh.

There was no link between the three man forward line and the three defensive-minded midfielders who sat in front of the back line the whole match. Why Le Guen did not start Achille Emana, Cameroon's best attacking midfielder, he would not say. Thus, not only was Eto'o forced to play on the wing, but there was nobody delivering him or the other forwards the ball without lobbing it 20 yards into a sea of Japanese defenders.

Despite their pre-tournament emphasis on stretching the field with their full backs and speedy wing midfielders working the flanks and launching crosses, the team generated no wing play on Monday. This can be traced to the same inexplicable deployment of three defensive midfielders and three forwards instead of a diamond formation of one defensive midfielder, one attacking midfielder, and two wingers (behind two, instead of three forwards).

If Le Guen hasn't learned from his mistake, all Cameroon fans can do is pray.

The Match

Denmark like to sit back and punish teams that push too far forward. Against the Netherlands, they looked quite comfortable on and off the ball until they conceded an own goal early in the second half. Now, with a -2 goal differential, teetering on the brink of elimination, Olsen's Eleven must attack. Can they take control of the match and go on the offensive against Cameroon?

Cameroon, as well, must play for the win, but can they play up to their ability and avoid lapses in discipline against a team that are far better equipped than Japan to exploit them?

Overall, both teams' desperation should make this match less cautious and more open, a factor that on balance should favor the attacking style of Cameroon.

Eto'o will play in the middle of the pitch this time, and hopefully Achille Emana will be right behind him, providing the crucial link between defense and offense that was absent in the first match. However, in order to dissect the Danes, Cameroon must make use of the wings in the offensive third of the pitch. If they can combine a more effective frontal assault with flanking runs from the midfield and defense, they should be able to take it to their Nordic adversaries.

The task will severely test the Lions; the Danes looked like the superior team on Monday.

Faithful as ever to the indomitable spirit of the Indomitable Lions, however, I trust them to turn things around. This World Cup means too much to Eto'o to lose again.

Prediction

My head says Denmark. My heart says Cameroon. I never follow sense over sensibility.

2-1 Cameroon.

Goals courtesy of Pierre Webo through the air and a late winner from man of the match Eto'o on the ground.

Paul Le Guen's Cameroon squad have questions to answer about their motivation and teamwork after a disappointing first match that should all but end their hopes of advancement at the 2010 World Cup.

A decisive favorite in the match, their opponents came out playing tentatively. Japan clearly looked like a team that was ready to bunker down and wait for Cameroon to over-extend themselves.

That over-extension never came, however, as the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon looked offensively inept from the opening whistle. Rarely over the course of the match did they look comfortable in possession or willing to seize control of the midfield.

The more the Lions showed a total inability to move the ball forward, the more Japan gained confidence and attempted a few abortive sallies down the sideline.

After 15 minutes, neither team had developed a rhythm.

Japan, sensing something was not clicking among their faster, more talented opponents, began to test the lax defending of Benoit Assou-Ekotto on the right flank. His eagerness to push forward was only matched by his nonchalance in marking Grenoble winger Daisuke Matsui.

This pattern would be revisited twenty minutes later with devastating results. In the 38th minute, Matsui, one of Japan's stars on the day, embarrassed Assou-Ekotto with a sharp cutting move in the right channel and found Keisuke Honda wide open at the back post with a bending cross. Honda had time enough to settle and slot the ball home past the hapless Souleymanou Hamidou, who had no chance at stopping the well-placed shot.

With only seven minutes till the break, Cameroon seemed to wake up to the fact that they were at the World Cup Finals.

Despite the spark of urgency, however, their forward play remained impotent, as their defenders and defensive midfielders showed the same inability to create in the middle third.

Second Half Signs of Life

Le Guen, somewhat surprisingly, stuck to his guns at halftime, keeping the same conservative lineup on the pitch that had started the first half.

It didn't seem to be the worst decision in the world at first, as the Lions came roaring out of the locker room, looking a completely different side than the one that started.

They immediately began by attacking the wings, a strategy that gave them a lot of success leading up to the World Cup.

Their three-man forward line wove back-and-forth from left to right and switched positions, exploiting their decisive advantages in size, speed, and skill.

A great cross from Eric Choupo-Moting in the 47th minute looked to set the tone that Cameroon should have struck in the first period; things were looking up.

Choupo-Moting fed the ball through the box, forcing a panicky Japanese full back to clear the ball out for a corner, with Samuel Eto'o lurking over his right shoulder.

Choupo-Moting continued to use his lanky, 6'3" frame to good effect on both wings. He was one of the bright spots for Cameroon, but his and others' crosses never seemed to find an open man.

Off a throw-in in the 49th minute, Eto'o made a highlight-worthy run which split three Japanese defenders and left him streaking toward goal along the touch line. Eto'o skillfully laced the ball back to the feet of the wide open Choupo-Moting, but the youngster showed his inexperience in leaning back and curling his shot wide left.

Cameroon clearly had the run of play for the next twenty minutes, as Japan tried to get down the wings from time to time, only to run into dead ends near the corner flags.

Despite spurts of quick-passing play and strong peeling runs along the sidelines, the final ball rarely seemed to be released, and when it did, it never found its mark.

15 minutes into the second period, Cameroon were still dominating possession, but generating very little creative play from their trio of defensive midfielders, Eyong Enoh, Jean Makoun, and Joel Matip.

Enoh and Matip in particular looked totally inept going forward. This begs the question, why, if Paul Le Guen was not going to put a more offensive lineup on the field, did he not start the vastly more talented player in Alex Song, rather than the inexperienced and less-skilled Matip and Enoh?

Choupo-Moting, continuing his intelligent play, once again took a good run, driving 20 yards down the left and cutting to the edge of the box where he let fly a rather tame right-footed effort. His shot was off the mark, but the idea was solid, and he proved himself to be one of the only players with the heart and motor to give a 90 minute effort. Unfortunately, he would be subbed in the 75th minute for Mohammadou Idrissou, who proved ineffective.

Not surprisingly, Joel Matip was the first to exit in the 64th minute, making way for the attack-minded Achille Emana. Emana was probably the most conspicuous omission from the starting lineup. As the team's only bona fide central attacking midfielder, his exclusion from the gameplan defies rational explanation.

Shortly after coming on, a quick throw-in from Eto'o to Emana caught Japan scrambling in the box, but the ball was quickly cleared. Japan did very little to win the game, but it certainly cannot be said that they were lacking effort or discipline on the back end.

Unable or Unwilling to Storm the Bunker

As the clock crept toward the 70th minute, Japan looked increasingly inclined to waste time and protect their slim lead. The question was, could they bunker down and defend for 20 minutes?

Turns out, yes, they could. The Indomitable Lions seemed totally unable to control the run of play for any length of time on offense, and a good deal of credit is due to Marcus Tulio Tanaka and captain Yuji Nakazawa for coolly sealing off the middle of the defense.

There was a lack of coordination about Cameroon's play, even in the desperate final 20-25 minutes, that forces questions about the lineup deployed by Le Guen.

In the 71st minute, substitute Emana made a good stabbing run toward edge of box. However, with nobody following his lead, he ran into a tsunami of blue shirts on the 18-yard-line.

In the 73rd minute, Enoh won the ball close to the half, creating a good counterattacking opportunity, but the play went straight up the middle and again was muffled by a crushing blue swarm.

The same play repeated itself minutes later, only to produce a questionable lifted pass that sailed well over the head of Pierre Webo, who was in an offside position anyway.

Why was Enoh still in the match? For that matter, why did he start the match?

A double substitution in the 75th minute saw the exit of Makoun and, surprisingly to my mind, Choupo-Moting, in favor of the hapless and lead-footed Mohammadou Idrissou and Geremi, who probably should have entered the match 30 minutes earlier.

By that point in time, however, Japan had long since begun to play with 11 men behind the ball. Cameroon, perplexed, reverted to their first half strategy of booting the ball forward and hoping one of their outnumbered strikers would be able to flick the ball down to an equally outnumbered teammate.

In the last ten minutes, with darkness descending on the pitch, Cameroon jogged back and forth across the park, never seeming to have a numerical advantage at any one point and never looking poised in possession.

Four or five yellow jerseys were permanently fixed near the top of the 18-yard-box. What these players expected to get from their total lack of effort is a mystery, however, as Japan were content to hold their line and swarm around the ball as soon as it hit the ground.

A surprise chance to steal a point presented itself in the 87th minute, when Stephane Mbia almost crushed the crossbar inward with a rocket strike from 30 yards. In the ensuing scramble, an Emana shot deflected into the arms of the Japanese keeper, but these opportunities were the exception to the rule over the final 20 minutes.

Japan were able to hold their own and run out four uneventful minutes of stoppage time.

They certainly vindicated controversial manager Takeshi Okada with some gutsy teamwork and disciplined defending. To be frank, though, the match was fed to them with a frustratingly large soup spoon.

Lack of Offense Forces Questions About Le Guen's Lineup

Paul Le Guen must shoulder the lion's share of the blame on this one.

His team looked unprepared and totally inept in face of the expectation that they would dominate possession. The more they showed an unwillingness to go forward, the more they signalled to Japan that the lineup their manager fielded was worth far less than the sum of its parts.

It's one thing to lose valiantly to a superior opponent, as Cameroon have done in past World Cups. Today, however, Cameroon gave a match away that was clearly theirs for the taking.

Why, when Japan was such an inferior attacking team, did Le Guen crowd his midfield with defensive players who had no idea what to do going forward?

And why, if it was not his intention to put strong wing players like Landry N'Guemo and Geremi in the lineup, did Le Guen start less talented players like Eyong Enoh and Joel Matip over Alex Song and Achille Emana—two of Cameroon's four best players?

Why, when it came time to make substitutions, did Le Guen take off one of the few bright spots in the Cameroon attack, Eric Choupo-Moting, instead of the largely ineffective Pierre Webo?

Personally, I was left wondering whether Le Guen is doing the best with the talent he has available, or whether he is trying to reshape the Indomitable Lions to resemble the faded memory of his own playing days?

Going Forward

Cameroon have a difficult task ahead in trying to make it to the knockout stage.

They will need at least one win to challenge for second place, but up against solid defensive side Denmark and group favorites the Netherlands, their toughest challenges lie ahead.

Cameroon still have the personnel to score goals, but will Le Guen deploy a lineup that will give them a fighter's chance at advancing?

On Saturday, with seemingly no pressure on them anymore, can Eto'o and the boys salvage some pride with a win over the disciplined Danes?

Well-known faces will be riding the bench for both sides when the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon face off against the Samurai Blue of Japan in Bloemfontein on Monday.

Japan's talismanic veteran, midfielder Shunsuke Nakamura, is likely to play a 'super sub' role for manager Takeshi Okada's side, who have a host of gifted midfield options, if little else to recommend them.

Unlike hated rivals South Korea, who opened Group B play with a dominating 2-0 win over Greece, the Samurai Blue appear to lack the coherent team strategy and sense of purpose that is a prerequisite of successful upset bids.

A squad much-maligned for its lack of 'teeth,' Japan will rely heavily on its midfield creativity to clamp down on the Cameroonian attack and feed balls forward on the counter to lone striker (appropriately a converted midfielder) Keisuke Honda, who turns 24 today.

Brazilian-born central defender Marcus Tulio Tanaka, notorious for his high-flying, knee-first tackle which broke the arm of Ivorian striker Didier Drogba on June 4, will join captain Yuji Nakazawa in the central defense. Both will be tasked with tracking Inter Milan playmaker Samuel Eto'o and stifling the creative efforts of midfield ace Achille Emana.

In poor form of late, with only four players on their roster who ply their trade outside of the J League, and with seemingly no legitimate striking options, Japan will look to frustrate Cameroon in the middle third and hope that the Africans' mistakes will generate chances for them to steal one or more points.

United Lions Rampant?

Paul Le Guen's Indomitable Lions have an excellent opportunity in this opening match to set the tone of Group E play.

They kick off shortly after favorites the Netherlands take on Denmark, a solid defensive side who look to be Cameroon's toughest competition for second place in the group. A comfortable, mistake-free win over Japan would allow the Africans to dictate the pace of their June 19 match against Denmark, who should be in the hole following their clash with the Netherlands.

Cameroon must secure a vital three points against their weakest opponent in order to bolster their hopes of knockout round qualification. A draw would leave them in the difficult position of needing points from both their remaining matches.

On paper, Cameroon are superior to their Japanese opponents. The real question is whether they can avoid the mental lapses and tactical errors that have sunk their talented squad in recent years?

Manager Paul Le Guen has revealed startling lineup changes in two press conferences over the past week that, while they may surprise casual football fans, show Cameroon to be a very different team than the one that bowed out in the quarterfinal of the African Cup of Nations in January.

On Monday, in his last official press conference in Yaoundé, Le Guen announced that twice-capped 21-year-old forward Eric Choupo-Moting is likely to start Monday's match over in-form veteran Pierre Webo.

The young Nuremberg striker has looked strong of late, with Le Guen praising him above all else for his intelligent approach. With fewer than two full matches under his belt for the national side, however, and with only 34 minutes on the pitch at the same time as prospective striking partner Eto'o, supporters may be pardoned for scratching their heads at the timing of the decision.

Yesterday, the Lions' manager shocked fans and analysts alike with the twin benchings of starting goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and outstanding young defensive midfielder Alex Song. Neither was scratched for personal, health, or disciplinary reasons; Le Guen simply felt that other options would enable him to "start the tournament with the most competitive team."

Normally, dropping three such bombshells is a privilege reserved for confident, comfortable managers with proven track records of success. It's in no manager's interest to make surprise roster moves only days before the start of the World Cup, especially when goalkeepers are involved.

Nonetheless, the closely followed Indomitable Lions camp has been free of the backbiting and unrest that tend to follow such potentially unpopular moves, suggesting the team have gotten behind the manager and have drunken the Koolaid, so to speak.

The only statements coming out of the Cameroonian camp are very reassuring.

Samuel Eto'o made headlines earlier in the week by spending $1.3 million on designer watches for his teammates, but he's not the only one making sacrifices for the team. Center back and Tottenham Hotspur standout Sebastien Bassong reassured the media that he bears no ill will toward Le Guen despite his frequent benching: "I put it behind me...I have always done absolutely everything I could to be here."

Stephane Mbia, French Ligue 1 champion with Marseille, has not complained about being reassigned from his favored midfield role to the central defense. "I don't mind where I play," he said this week. "I just want to be here to help my team."

A professional publicist could not come up with better sound bites.

Prediction

Le Guen seems to have figured out how to capitalize on a previously unexploited resource in the strong crossing of Benoit Assou-Ekotto, Landry N'Guemo, Geremi, and Georges Mandjeck, at least three of whom figure to start on Monday.

In Cameroon's last three tune-up matches, all on the road against European World Cup entrants Slovakia, Portugal, and Serbia, the Indomitable Lions scored five goals, all of which were generated from long crosses into the box. Four of those came on headers, and all five were scored without Samuel Eto'o on the pitch.

With their new-found penchant for dynamic wing play supplementing the traditional threat posed by Eto'o, Emana, and young Choupo-Moting, the multiform Cameroonian attack should be too robust for the Japanese to tame.

For Cameroon's part, this match will be about combining the various promising pieces they have shown at different times in different venues into a coherent, cohesive whole.

They have the defensive personnel to prevent Japan from scoring. However, with the Lions' new-look offense reliant on the supporting play of their wing defenders, can players like Assou-Ekotto and Geremi strike a judicious balance between the impulse to go forward and the need to hold a solid back line?

I think that in this environment, and given the remarkable solidarity they've shown in recent weeks behind Eto'o and Le Guen, the Indomitable Lions will pull it all together and make a strong opening statement.

Cameroon will look dangerous crossing the ball and should head one home before halftime. Chasing, Japan will concede a second goal on the ground before time.

Result: 2-0 Indomitable Lions.

Man of the Match: Samuel Eto'o.

Special Mentions: Benoit Assou-Ekotto and Landry N'Guemo.

In his press conference today in Durban, Cameroon manager Paul Le Guen shocked the world by revealing that long-time first team goalkeeper Carlos Kameni and Arsenal midfield standout Alex Song will not start in the Indomitable Lions' first match against Japan.

"Alexandre Song may not start the first match against Japan," he announced. "This does not mean there is anything bad about him. He is a great player. It's just that I want to start the tournament with the most competitive team."

Though Song hasn't figured much in the Lions' recent friendlies, most believed that Le Guen was resting him along with Samuel Eto'o, Achille Emana, and other key players who had only recently completed their European campaigns.

Whether this decision signifies that Song will never be a part of Cameroon's "most competitive" starting eleven, or that he can expect to start later in the group stage, is unclear.  Le Guen certainly felt obliged to justify the move, which suggests he still thinks highly of Song, who emerged this season as a defensive rock for his North London club.

Either way, this is a surprising and undoubtedly unpopular move that will shock Cameroon supporters who thus far have been given little reason to put their faith in the Frenchman.

After salvaging Cameroon's World Cup qualification campaign last fall, Le Guen led the team to and ignominious quarterfinal exit at the African Cup of Nations, where defensive inconsistency proved their Achilles' heel.

As the only Cameroonian to make the tournament eleven, Song was one of the few bright spots in the Cup of Nations campaign. The only reasonable explanation for the decision to leave him out of the starting eleven is that Le Guen is opting for a more offensive-minded lineup.

Lyon's Jean Makoun has been the first choice as the holding midfielder in the 4-3-1-2 diamond formation Le Guen has favored lately. Alex Song would figure to play on the right side of the midfield, but if the plan is to generate more wing play, Landry N'Guemo, Georges Mandjeck, and Geremi would provide more pace and better crossing ability.

Song is one of the best and most consistent players on the 23-man roster, but if the whole squad has faith in the system Le Guen has put in place, then perhaps the young midfielder can suppress his ego for the sake of the team.

What is harder to understand is the decision to replace one of Europe's top professional goalkeepers in Carlos Kameni with the demonstrably inferior Souleymanou Hamidou.

Kameni is a mercurial talent, to be sure; at the African Cup of Nations he made his fair share of errors. Hamidou, however, has been at least as inconsistent of late. He was directly responsible for one of Serbia's goals on Saturday, and looked shaky on crosses throughout the match.

It's difficult to understand why Le Guen would choose the weaker keeper who has hardly been in top form.

What is more, unlike midfield lineups and formations that can be shuffled and tweaked from match to match and even in mid-play, goalkeepers can't be switched every other day. They need their managers' confidence in order to thrive. Once a keeper is selected, the team must ride his form, for better or worse, until the tournament is over or he makes it impossible for the manager to keep him in play.

Surprise last minute goalkeeping changes can be fatal; Rob Green showed as much today for England. (U-S-A! U-S-A!).

Perhaps Le Guen knows what he is doing.

Morale seems high. The team certainly appears to have jelled in recent weeks. Despite his difficult personality, the decision to give the captaincy to Eto'o seems to have motivated the Inter Milan star and his teammates with him.

Le Guen already announced a controversial lineup decision on Monday, when he revealed his intention to start youngster Eric Choupo-Moting as the second forward against Japan. Choupo-Moting has only made two starts with the national team, while veteran Pierre Webo has scored three goals in his last two matches.

I've been saying for weeks that the name of the game will be consistency. If Le Guen has found a plan of attack that can create opportunities for Emana and Eto'o and if the defense can avoid the mental lapses that haunted them back in January, Cameroon should be favorites to advance, no matter who is in the starting eleven.

If Cameroon don't advance, however, it won't take much soul-searching to find a suitable scapegoat.

With Cameroon on the plane to South Africa yesterday, much has transpired in the last week that may bear on the Indomitable Lions' form and morale in the World Cup.

Saturday's see-saw performance in Belgrade against Serbia, Paul Le Guen's final pre-tournament press conference, even Samuel Eto'o's Santa Claus moment all provide hints about what to expect from Cameroon in their first match against Japan on Monday.

Can it be that they're hitting their stride at just the right time to make the deep run that will do not only the nation, but all of Africa proud?

Offensive Upswing in the Final Friendly

Manager Paul Le Guen has done everything in his power to defy predictability in the friendly schedule he lined up for his squad over the last few weeks.

Saturday's match in Belgrade was no different, as Cameroon shocked their opponents and supporters alike by lining up in a 3-4-3 lineup against Serbia. With Eto'o suspended for a red card, this meant recently FIFA-approved Eric Choupo-Moting, who impressed in his appearance against Portugal, joined 18-year-old Vincent Aboubakar and in-form Pierre Webo on the attacking line.

Alex Song sat out while Jean Makoun and Stephane Mbia (who is likely to start in the central defense) anchored the midfield. Georges Mandjeck and Eyong Enoh played on the wings.

In defense, Tottenham's Sebastien Bassong held down the middle in a rare starting appearance, while Nicolas Nkoulou and Benoit Assou-Ekotto played on the flanks.

Cameroon showed an impressive offensive spark, scoring twice in the opening 20 minutes against a star-studded Serbian back line.

The only problem was that the defense was so porous that they couldn't keep the Serbs from responding within five minutes each time. After the second Serb goal in the 25th, Le Guen switched the formation to a 4-3-3, but Stephane Mbia was awarded a yellow card on a questionable penalty in the 44th minute. After converting the PK, Serbia were able to sneak another goal in the 45th, leaving the score at a whopping 4-2 at the break.

Cameroon kept Serbia off the board in the second half after Le Guen made wholesale lineup changes. They even managed to get a goal back in the 67th minute, but the match ended 4-3.

Clearly, the defense were in the doghouse after the match, though the aggressive starting formation certainly made it difficult for Nkoulou, Bassong, and Assou-Ekotto to find a rhythm in the opening quarter of the match.

Despite the inconsistent defensive effort, there were several positives to be taken from the performance.

The first encouraging sign was the goal by Choupo-Moting, his first goal for Cameroon in only his second capped appearance. Le Guen's faith in the 21-year-old Nuremberg striker is paying dividends, as the lithe 6'3" youngster seems to be rounding into dangerous form in time for Cameroon's first match.

Benoit Assou-Ekotto continued his strong play at left back, tallying his third assist in as many matches and showcasing a deadly-accurate cross that will add an important aerial dimension to the Indomitable Lions' attack.

Geremi Njitap, a second half substitution, demonstrated his continued ability to contribute at the international level, sending in a great cross to assist Choupo-Moting in the second half.

Most impressive of late, Pierre Webo tallied his second and third goals in the last two matches, both on strong headers off long crosses. In light of Mohammadou Idrissou's inconsistency over the last few weeks, it would not be surprising if Webo has locked down the second striker's spot.

Since qualification, the biggest question mark for this Lions team has been offensive creativity in support of Eto'o. Three aerial strikes against a strong World Cup side should answer a whole lot of questions as to how the goals will come. With dangerous wing play to take pressure off Achille Emana and Eto'o in the middle, Cameroon may prove one of the most versatile attacking sides in South Africa.

If the deep, talented defensive personnel can live up to expectations, the Indomitable Lions may be primed for an historic run.

Surprise Lineup Hint from Manager's Press Conference

On Monday, Le Guen spoke to the media in Yaoundé, assessing the team's aspirations and fitness, as well as providing some surprise hints at the starting lineup against Japan.

He repeated his claim from May that the quarterfinals are a "reasonable objective," which, if met, would install his 2010 squad atop the pantheon of Cameroon football alongside the famous 1990 Indomitable Lions team.

Le Guen's optimism was bolstered by his squad's fitness and by his conviction that the mercurial Samuel Eto'o will rise to the occasion.

He further revealed his faith in the unheralded Eric Choupo-Moting, going so far as to suggest he is so confident in the young striker that Choupo-Moting may have earned the honor of starting Cameroon's opening match against Japan: "I will be counting on Eto'o and Choupo-Moting to make a good match and score goals, because they are very intelligent players."

Whether Le Guen intends for Choupo-Moting to be a regular partner for Eto'o, or whether he intends to significantly alter his starting line for each new opponent remains to be seen, but his words at the press conference clearly signal that a surprise may be in store for Monday's match.

Final Verdict: Will They or Won't They?

The Indomitable Lions look to be rounding into form at just the right time.

Le Guen has had a chance to see several combinations of players in multiple formations since March. Though the defense has been inconsistent in that time, shutting out Italy only to allow four goals in the first half to Serbia, the Cameroon manager does not seem overly concerned about the performance of the back line.

His confidence may be misplaced, but it certainly suggests a reassuringly high level of fitness and morale across the squad.

As for the offense, it has been the big unknown since Le Guen took over the team. Do the Lions have the midfield creativity and the forwards to make their attack anything more than a one-man show?

Emphasizing wing play and aerial combinations, Le Guen seems to have found the winning formula, and if there is anything that can be gleaned with a certainty from the last few weeks of trials and experimentation, it's that Cameroon will not go out due to a lack of goal-scoring.

If the back four can hold their line while still allowing the full backs to launch themselves forward from time to time, the Indomitable Lions will not only be hard to break down, but near impossible to stop.

Ahead of this afternoon's final World Cup tune-up in Belgrade, word was handed down to the Cameroon Football Federation that Samuel Eto'o is suspended for the match against surprise World Cup qualifiers Serbia.

The suspension came, as expected, following Cameroon's mid-week friendly against Portugal. Less than 40 minutes into the match, the Cameroon captain was issued two yellow cards in barely a minute for arguing a goal and then committing a dangerous frustration foul against Portuguese defender Duda.

Nothing was said about Eto'o's eligibility for the World Cup, and it is believed he will be able to play in the Indomitable Lions' opening match against Japan on June 14.

The suspension may come as a mixed blessing, considering the rash of injuries that have struck over the last week, with England captain Rio Ferdinand, Ivorian striker Didier Drogba, and, just this afternoon, the Netherlands' Arjen Robben all going down to injuries that will threaten their World Cup participation.

However, with little time to prepare since having a week off following his Champions League Final win, Eto'o will head into the World Cup having only played 34 minutes with Cameroon since their friendly draw with Italy on March 3.

A week before the tournament, the super-talented Eto'o's ability to establish a rapport with the rest of Cameroon's attacking line remains the biggest question mark for the Lions and one of the keys to the fate of Group E.

With the Netherlands rounding into form, the expectation is that Cameroon will be battling for second place with Japan's Samurai Blue, who have never won a World Cup match outside of their own homogeneous archipelago, and Denmark, who have lost twice this week in friendly bouts with Australia and South Africa.

If Cameroon want to assert their claim to second place and perhaps challenge the injury-stricken Oranje for supremacy, players like Pierre Webó and Achille Emana are going to have to find a way to manufacture opportunities for their world-class countryman.

Uniform Numbers for the Traveling 23

Here, according to FIFA's Cameroon team page, are the uniform assignments of the Cameroon Indomitable Lions 2010 World Cup squad.

A few numbers of note: Eto'o, of course, is in his familiar No. 9. Emana and Jean Makoun are in their usual Nos. 10 and 11. Webó, who looks at this point to be manager Paul Le Guen's preferred second striker, will sport the No. 15 jersey.

Alex Song has recently begun to wear No. 6 (a conscious homage, or so I would like to imagine, to Arsenal legend Tony Adams!). Exciting young Celtic midfielder Landry N'Guemo, who may or may not start, will seek to channel Francois Omam-Biyik when he dons the No. 7, and Tottenham's strong-crossing wing defender, Benoît Assou-Ekotto, will wear No. 2.

Here's the full list, which can be found here with more complete bio and club info:

1. Idriss Carlos Kameni

2. Benoit Assou-Ekotto

3. Nicolas Nkoulou

4. Rigobert Song

5. Sebastien Bassong

6. Alexandre Song (come on, you Gunner!)

7. Landry N'Guemo

8. Geremi (Njitap)

9. Samuel Eto'o

10. Achille Emana

11. Jean Makoun

12. Gaetan Bong

13. Eric Choupo-Moting

14. Aurelien Chedjou

15. Pierre Webo

16. Souleymanou Hamidou

17. Mohammadou Idrissou

18. Eyong Enoh

19. Stephane Mbia

20. Georges Mandjeck

21. Joel Matip

22. Guy Ndy

23. Vincent Aboubakar

Allez les Lions!