Clinical Netherlands punish Denmark

The Netherlands kicked off their 2010 FIFA World Cup campaign with a 2-0 victory in Group E as Denmark were left ruing a moment of ill-fortune in Johannesburg.

Morten Olsen's team went into half-time with their tails up but within a minute of the restart they were behind as Robin van Persie's hopeful cross came off the back of Simon Poulsen's head, deflected off Daniel Agger's back and dropped in. There was no way back for Denmark, Dirk Kuyt confirming defeat five minutes from time.

Much of the pre-match talk had surrounded the Netherlands and whether they could continue the form that brought them eight wins from eight qualifiers. Yet as the first half wore on it was Denmark who did much of the running, combining slick short interchanges and searching diagonal passes to good effect.

The tactic almost produced the opener after the half-hour when Martin Jørgensen's long ball released Dennis Rommedahl, whose sweet strike forced Maarten Stekelenburg into a low stop. Rommedahl was ensuring Giovanni van Bronckhorst's 100th cap did not pass without difficulty, having already found Nicklas Bendtner with a far-post cross that the striker, in space, ought to have at least diverted on target.

Arsenal FC team-mate Van Persie was enduring a different kind of frustration at the other end as he struggled to get in the game, but that all changed two minutes after the restart as he forced the breakthrough. He should have made it 2-0 soon after when he was sent clear after Simon Kjær directed a clearance straight at Kuyt but a heavy first touch allowed Thomas Sørensen to get there first.

Eljero Elia's introduction midway through the half added greater impetus for the Oranje and though Sørensen brilliantly tipped his shot onto the post late on after Wesley Sneijder's pass, Kuyt tapped in the rebound. Only a superb last-ditch intervention from Simon Poulsen denied Van Persie before the end – how Denmark could have done with such poise earlier.