World Cup 2010 Predictions: Group E

Group E has arguably received the least amount of attention before the tournament.  Not because of a lack of talent, but because there isn't a team that is really headline material.  The team that will draw the most attention is the Netherlands.  They seem to be the clear favorites in Group E and are poised for a first ever World Cup title.  After the Dutch is where the real chaos ensues.  Denmark, Cameroon, and Japan all have strong cases to advance to the knockout stages so every game will be critical.  Will the Netherlands be tested by anybody in the group stages?  Here are my predictions for Group E with teach teams' record and point total in parentheses.

 1. Netherlands (3-0-0, 9 points): "The best team to never win a World Cup."  That is the title that the Netherlands are looking to shun this summer.  The Oranje have an attacking core that is as good if not better than any team in the world.   Coach Bert Van Marwijk has the tough, but nice problem of picking the team's starting eleven.  Wesley Sneijder (Inter Milan) will most likely anchor the midfield for the Netherlands and he will be flanked on the wings by the red-hot Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich) and the multi-talented Robin Van Persie (Arsenal).  With the likes of Rafael Van der Vaart (Real Madrid), Eljero Elia (Hamburg), and Ibrahim Affelay (PSV) coming off their bench, the Dutch's offense is absolutely loaded.  But the offense is something that has always been there for the Netherlands.  It has been a lack of consistency and poor defense that have done them in in the past.  The Dutch can win this group based on their sheer talent, but they will need something more than that if they want to go far this summer.

 2. Denmark (1-1-1, 6 points): The Danes are back in the World Cup after missing the tournament four years ago.  Manager Morten Olsen is poised to bring Denmark back to the knockout stages and they have the team that can do it.  Denmark had an excellent qualification for the 2010 World Cup winning their group that included Portugal, Sweden, and Hungary.  Olsen's Elleve (Olsen's Eleven) has an excellent balance of youth and experience.  Their biggest playmker is Christian Poulsen (Juventus).  He will look to create in front of rising star Niklas Bendtner (Arsenal) and the ageless Jon Dahl Tomasson (Feyenoord).  Injuries will be an issue though for the Danes.  Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen (Stoke City) and central defender Simon Kjaer are both coming into the tournament at less than 100%.  They will need to perform at a high level for Denmark to move on.

  3. Cameroon (1-2-0, 3 points): Much of the publicity lately has been bad for Cameroon as their star striker Samuel Eto'o (Inter Milan) threatened to quit after receiving criticism from one of the country's greatest legends, Roger Milla.  Chemistry will undoubtedly be an issue for the Indomitable Lions as the controversy with Eto'o will grab a lot of attention.  The pressure for him to perform for his home country will be larger than ever and could affect his play.  Eto'o will need the support of Alexander Song (Arsenal) and Jean Makoun (Lyon) if Cameroon is to advance.  The talent is undeniable for Cameroon, but the cloud over Eto'o and this team will affect the team and hold them back.

4. Japan (0-3-0, 0 points): Japan enters the field of 32 for the fourth straight World Cup and are looking to improve off their winless summer in 2006.  Samurai Blue had a very easy time qualifying for the tournament finishing second in the Asian zone behind Australia.  They have not kept up that momentum since qualifying though as they have suffered three straight losses in international friendlies to Serbia, South Korea, and England.  Japan has no momentum whatsoever coming into this tournament and need to win their first game against Cameroon to have any chance of advancing.  Midfielder Yasuhito Endo (Gamba Osaka) is a promising young talent, but he doesn't have enough around him to make Japan a legitimate threat.