2010 World Cup Group E Preview

Netherlands
The Dutch have been one of the stronger teams in the world for decades, yet they have never felt the glory of being the World Cup champion. The 2010 World Cup will be another major tournament where they are considered one of the favorites. In their eight World Cup qualifying matches, the Netherlands did not lose a game, racking up eight wins and outscoring opponents 17-2 during that time.

Players to watch for: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben

Prediction: The Netherlands will dominate Group E and should top it with three wins. They are certainly capable of beating any team in the world, but their toughest opponent in the recent past has been themselves. Costly mistakes in big games have seen the Dutch get knocked out late in the knockout stages after looking impressive early in tournaments.

Cameroon
Samuel Eto'o. That is all that really needs to be said to take Cameroon seriously. Eto'o is one of the top players in the world and will look to lead his team in the 2010 World Cup. Eto'o scored nine goals in the team's eleven qualifying matches. A mix of youthful energy and experienced veterans could make Cameroon dangerous.

Players to watch for: Jean Makoun and Samuel Eto'o

Prediction: Cameroon will be lucky to escape their game against the Netherlands with a tie, but they are fully capable of beating Denmark and Japan. As arguably the best team from Africa, Cameroon will shine in the first World Cup held in Africa. They will advance as the second team out of the group and will be a tough team for some of the traditional powers to face in the knockout stages.

Denmark
The good news for Denmark is that they have advanced out of the group in all three of their previous World Cup appearances. The bad news is that this is their first major tournament in years, as the Danes failed to qualify for the 2006 World Cup or Euro 2008. Denmark does have a strong goalkeeper in Thomas Sørensen, who could be the deciding factor in a close game, and a high-class attacking player in Nicklas Bendtner, but the team has weaknesses at several positions.

Players to watch for: Nicklas Bendtner and Daniel Agger

Prediction: While Denmark will play the teams in their group tough and should pick up three points against Japan, they just won't have enough to get by the Netherlands or Cameroon.

Japan
While Japan has been one of Asia's dominant teams, they are still a small fish in a big pond when it comes to world soccer. Shunsuke Nakamura is the top Japanese player and will have to be a huge contributor if the Japanese are to pull off the upsets necessary to advance out of the group. Some good results in 2009, including a 4-0 win over Chile and a 4-3 win over Ghana, will have the Japanese confident.

Players to watch for: Shunsuke Nakamura and Keisuke Honda

Prediction: If the Japanese are going to advance, they will need wins over Cameroon and Denmark. They may be able to pull one win off, but winning both of those games would be monumental. Expect to see Japan sent home after group play.

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