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.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.Gaffe: Simon Poulsen's header (left) flies in the wrong direction, hitting Agger (second left) on the back and flying into Denmark's goalBut 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.  Kuyt doubled Holland's advantage five minutes from the end to ensure the highly-fancied Oranje a positive start in Group E.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'.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.Inquest: Kuyt celebrates as Denmark rue their awful luckIt 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.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.Van Persie and Rafael van der Vaart then played a neat one-two, but the latter saw his shot deflected wide by Agger.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.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.Red hot Dutch: Kuyt (No 7) tucks away the second goalThe Ajax goalkeeper was drawn into his first testing save after 36 minutes when Bendtner released Thomas Kahlenberg, whose shot was acrobatically palmed away. 

Source: Daily_Mail