Honda sparks Japanese joy
Monday, June 14, 2010
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Japan 1-0 Cameroon
PFC CSKA Moskva midfielder Keisuke Honda struck the only goal six minutes before half-time to give Japan an opening Group E win.
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Keisuke Honda scored the only goal as Japan beat Group E rivals Cameroon to record a first-ever FIFA World Cup finals victory outside their own country.
Japan sneaked in through the back door thanks to PFC CSKA Moskva midfielder Honda's close-range 39th-minute strike. The Asian representatives, who won twice as tournament co-hosts in 2002, are second in their section behind Saturday opponents the Netherlands, who defeated Denmark 2-0 ahead of that side's meeting with Cameroon.
Japan's decisive strike came markedly against the run of play on 39 minutes when Daisuke Matsui cut in from the right and delivered a perfect cross which Honda controlled before side-footing past Souleymanou Hamidou. Paul Le Guen's Cameroon came close to restoring parity five minutes after half-time, but Eric Choupo-Moting curled over from close range after captain Samuel Eto'o's clever cutback. Luck deserted them late on, Stéphane Mbia's vicious 20-metre effort crashing off Eiji Kawashima's bar.
