Holland hoping to hang on to first place against Cameroon

The Group E match between the Netherlands and Cameroon at Green Point Stadium in Cape Town on June 24 is one of just a couple in the first round of the World Cup that means little in the way of points and group standings. The Dutch have already advanced into the second round after a 2-0 win against Denmark and a 1-0 victory over Japan, while Cameroon can’t advance after losing 2-1 to Denmark and 1-0 to Japan.

However, first place in the group is still up for grabs and Cameroon will definitely be playing for pride.
Holland leads the group with six points followed by Japan and Denmark with three each and Cameroon with none. Holland has a goal difference of plus 3, while Japan is even and Denmark is at minus 1. The right scoring combination could see Denmark or Japan take the group with the Dutch guaranteed of at least second spot. A draw would clinch first place for Holland though.

Cameroon is in a terrible slump at the moment as they’ve gone seven games without a win. They threw everything they had at Denmark, but failed to come up with an equalizer. Their confidence is shattered at the moment and this won’t bode well for the game against Holland. There have been rumours of arguments between players and manager Paul Le Guen has come under fire for his team selection.

On the other side of the coin, manager Bert van Marwijk’s Dutch team hasn’t set the world on fire with its play, but have been solid in their two wins. They play attacking football and midfield maestro Wesley Sneijder has been their best player so far with forward Dirk Kuyt also impressing. They’ve also done all of this without injured winger Arjen Robben so far, and his return from a hamstring injury could be imminent.

Cameroon will be depending on 36-year-old goalkeeper Souleymanou Hamidou to keep the Dutch at bay if they hope to pull of any type of result here. Robben might get some playing time as a substitute and it’ll be interesting to see how he performs as he’s been slightly injury prone throughout his career.

Cameroon forwards Pierre Webo and Samuel Eto’o have played well as Webo uses his strength and speed to create room for his teammates. He uses his speed well for off-the-ball runs and is an important fixture in Cameroon’s attack, but he needs to hit the net with his shots.

The Dutch have only let in two goals in their last six World Cup games, with four of them being clean sheets. Defender John Heitinga has taken control in the back four and Robin van Persie goes into the game with a yellow card.

Odds and Predictions

Cameroon has no hope of advancing and has historically had trouble with European sides and this trend will likely continue here with Holland coming out of it with a 2-1 win. They’ve played each other twice before with Holland winning and drawing one. Bet this result for 8.50 (+750, 15/2) at Sportsbook.com

The odds of a Dutch win at Ladbrokes are 4/5, with a Cameroon victory posted at 19/5 and the odds of a draw are 5/2. They offer a large odds selection with some fun special bets such as 5 times the money on Holland to come from behind and win or draw.

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