RUSTENBERG, South Africa: First-half free kick goals from Keisuke Honda and Yusuhito Endo helped give Japan a 3-1 win over Denmark on Thursday and send the Asian country into the round of 16 of the World Cup.
The Danes replied in the 81st when Jon Dahl Tomasson tapped in the rebound from his own penalty kick, but Shinji Okazaki slotted into an empty net in the 87th to seal the win.
Japan took a 2-0 lead after goals from free kicks within a space of less than 15 minutes as the Japanese collected their second victory in Group E.
They ended in second place on six points compared with three for Denmark.
The Japanese reached the knockout round for the second time, and will meet Paraguay. They also progressed in 2002 when they were co-hosts, but missed out in two other editions.
"For Japan it’s a big win," Honda said. "I’m glad we won but I am not satisfied. The next game is more important. I want to show the Japanese that nothing is impossible."
Denmark failed to advance from the group stage for the first time in four World Cup appearances.
"Our team has a strength that others don’t have," Japan coach Takeshi Okada said. "We are truly united. We wanted to demonstrate that football is a team sport."
Honda got his and Japan’s second goal of the tournament in the 17th with a blistering free kick from the right of the Danish area which went over the wall and swerved beyond Thomas Sorensen’s reach into the far corner.
The Danish goalkeeper seemed fooled by the dipping swerve, diving late and failing to get his hands on the ball.
Endo’s free kick was from directly in front of the Danish goal and he curled his shot around the wall. Despite leaping to his left, Sorensen couldn’t get to it.
"The way the whole match progressed was decided on the two set pieces when they scored the two goals," Denmark coach Morten Olsen said.
"We knew which two players were going to take the free kicks. We prepared, but it didn’t help."
The Netherlands produced its first flair and finesse of the World Cup on Thursday, beating already-eliminated Cameroon 2-1 in Group E.
Robin Van Persie finished off an end-to-end move in the 36th minute and substitute Arjen Robben rifled a shot off the post in the 83rd minute that Klaas Jan Huntelaar tapped in.
In between, Samuel Eto’o scored from the penalty spot for Cameroon in the 65th.
"Our play was good," Van Persie said. "We can be really pleased with this."
After the match, Cameroon coach Paul Le Guen said he was quitting.
"I ended my mission," the Frenchman said. "Now I will reflect carefully."
The Dutch won the group with nine points and will face Slovakia in the round of 16 on Monday in Durban.
Playing with poise and confidence, the Dutch often thrilled the crowd of 63,093 with their creative moves.
Yet Eto’o and Cameroon still were able to pierce the defense and threaten goalkeeper Maarten Stekelenburg.
"In the 73rd, the tens of thousands of orange-clad fans at the Green Point Stadium cheered when Robben made his debut at the World Cup almost three weeks after sustaining a left hamstring injury in a warm-up game.
And he immediately showed his value. After tiptoeing carefully during his first moves, he was served a pass on the right in the 83rd.
With a move so often seen during his sterling season with Bayern Munich, he cut inside, beat defenders and curled off the post that Huntelaar poked in.
"It is good to be back," Robben said. "I had to get back in the groove and it worked. Too bad the shot did not go in."
Just his entry, however, lifted the team.
"He showed he can really break open any game," Netherlands defender John Heitinga said.
