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Dutch out to make a point

Published:Monday | June 14, 2010 | 12:00 AM
Netherlands head coach Bert van Marwijk gestures during a team training session at the Soccer city stadium in Johannesburg, South Africa, yesterday. Netherlands were preparing for today's FIFA World Cup group E match against Denmark. - AP Photo

JOHANNESBURG AP:

Even without the injured Arjen Robben, the Dutch will seek to underline their potential to win football's biggest prize for the first time by kicking off with an impressive victory over Denmark.

The two teams, who won their respective qualifying groups, will go head-to-head at Soccer City later today with both trying to show they can make an impact on the first World Cup on African soil, despite the expected absence of key players.

Robben is definitely out with a hamstring injury and Denmark striker Nicklas Bendtner is likely to be missing with a groin problem.

While the Danes are realistically out to reach the last eight, two-time runners-up Netherlands are aiming higher.

"We should reach the semifinals at least," striker Robin van Persie said. "That's a must for us, especially when you look at the 23 players and the clubs they play for."

Having the edge

Man for man, the Dutch should have the edge over the Danes. Even with Robben arriving at the World Cup trying to shake off a hamstring injury, the likes of Inter Milan's Wesley Sneijder, Bayern Munich's Mark van Bommel, Real Madrid's Rafael van der Vaart, Arsenal's Van Persie, AC Milan's Klaas-Jan Huntelaar and Liverpool duo Ryan Babel and Dirk Kuyt have the ability to beat better teams than Denmark.

Bendtner has been struggling for several weeks to get over his injury and there are major doubts he will take any part in today's opening Group E game.

The Dutch are in top goalscoring form, beating Ghana 4-0 in a World Cup warm-up match and then routing Hungary 6-1 after falling behind in Amsterdam.

"We have to avoid a possible injury relapse, especially since Arjen has almost not played or trained for the past three weeks," said coach Bert van Marwijk.

Despite reaching the finals of the 1974 and '78 World Cups, the Dutch have only one major title - the 1988 European Championship, despite giving the game some of its greatest players.

Van Marwijk's Danish counterpart, Morten Olsen, has also been sidelined, struck down for two days with a virus and temporarily left assistant coach Peter Bonde in charge of the team.