Source: Daily_Mail
WORLD CUP 2010: Holland 1 Denmark 0 - Agger d'oh! Own goal hands Oranje win
An own goal by Daniel Agger and a late Dirk Kuyt effort helped Holland begin their World Cup campaign with a comfortable victory over Denmark at Soccer City.[LNB]Both goals came in the second half after an assured first period of defending by the Scandinavians, who constantly thwarted a Dutch attack which appeared short of ideas without the injured Arjen Robben.[LNB]Gaffe: Simon Poulsen's header (left) flies in the wrong direction, hitting Agger (second left) on the back and flying into Denmark's goal[LNB]But the resistance was broken less than a 60 seconds into the second half, when Robin van Persie's cross from the left was headed on by SimonPoulsen - seemingly for a corner - but struck the back of Agger and went in.[LNB] Kuyt doubled Holland's advantage five minutes from the end to ensure the highly-fancied Oranje a positive start in Group E.[LNB]Denmark coach Morten Olsen sprung a major surprise by naming Nicklas Bendtner in his starting line-up despite saying yesterday that the Arsenal striker, who has been nursing a groin problem, 'cannot play'.[LNB]But his side, like Holland, struggled to find any early rhythm with Wesley Sneijder and Thomas Enevoldsen wastefully firing free-kicks from good positions into the crowd.[LNB]Inquest: Kuyt celebrates as Denmark rue their awful luck[LNB]It took 10 minutes for the first shot on target - Kuyt sending a tameeffort straight into the arms of Thomas Sorensen from just outside the box.[LNB]The noise level of the vuvuzelas was suddenly raised after 16 minuteswhen the lively Liverpool forward's cross was cleared away for a corner, but that came to nothing - much to the disappointment of the Soccer City crowd.[LNB]Van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart then played a neat one-two, but the latter saw his shot deflected wide by Agger.[LNB]The Danes had their best opening of the half just after the midway point when Bendtner found himself in space inside the six-yard box, but he could only head Dennis Rommedahl's cross from wide on the right.[LNB]After another dangerous ball from Kuyt was deflected wide, Rommedahl carved out another good chance when he cut in from the right, only to shoot straight at Maarten Stekelenburg.[LNB]Red hot Dutch: Kuyt (No 7) tucks away the second goal[LNB]The Ajax goalkeeper was drawn into his first testing save after 36 minutes when Bendtner released Thomas Kahlenberg, whose shot was acrobatically palmed away.[LNB]
