SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Danish and Japanese coaches look for a win at Rustenburg

Record ID: 455478

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: FOOTBALL / SOCCER - WORLD CUP 2010 - Danish and Japanese coaches look for a win at Rustenburg
  • Date: 24th June 2010
  • Summary: PHOKENG, NORTH WEST PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA (JUNE 23, 2010) (REUTERS) WIDE VIEW OF DENMARK TRAINING PLAYERS INCLUDING PER KROLDRUP (LONG HAIR) COACH MORTEN OLSEN AND PLAYERS FORWARD JON DAHL TOMASSON CHESTING THE BALL NICKLAS BENDTNER TRAINING DENMARK COACH MORTEN OLSEN ENTERING NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Danish) DENMARK COACH MORTEN OLSEN, SAYING: "Well, you have followed his progress, he has been doing all right but he has had to miss every other day of training. Every time he has played we wait to see the reaction to his injury. There is always doubt with an injury like that so we have to wait and see." WIDE VIEW OF NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Danish) DENMARK COACH MORTEN OLSEN, SAYING: "I do trust that this team can perform better than they have done so far. That is the reason, that is what we have been talking about for tomorrow. We have had players who were fit and those who were not so fit. If you play the decisive match when you have players who are completely 100 percent fit and having a good day then we will win tomorrow." OLSEN LEAVING NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 9th July 2010 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Sports
  • Reuters ID: LVAEXQPE4CQPJ3E6KEQCQ7HV48RV
  • Story Text: Danish coach Morten Olsen said on Wednesday (June 23) that midfielder Daniel Jensen cannot play in his team's Group E showdown with Japan on Thursday and forward Nicklas Bendtner is doubtful with a groin injury.
    While the Netherlands is already assured of a place in the knockout stage of the World Cup both Denmark and Japan are fighting for the remaining place in the second round. They play at the Royal Bafokeng stadium on Thursday (June 24).
    The Danes reached Rustenburg's match with a strong 2-1 win over Cameroon with Bendtner and Dennis Rommedahl scoring for the win. But Olsen told reporters that Bendtner had to restrict his training because of the injury.
    "He has been doing all right," Olsen said of Bendtner, "But he has had to miss every other day of training. Every time he has played we wait to see the reaction to his injury. There is always doubt with an injury like that so we have to wait and see," Denmark has never left a World Cup before reaching the knockout stage and if they are to keep that record intact they must beat Japan, who also have three points and a better goal difference.
    "I do trust that this team can perform better than they have done so far," said Olsen. "That is the reason, that is what we have been talking about for tomorrow. We have had players who were fit and those who were not so fit. If you play the decisive match when you have players who are completely 100 percent fit and having a good day then we will win tomorrow."
    The Japan players trained at the stadium a few hours after the Danes on Wednesday.
    While the statistics mean that Japan could qualify for the next round with a draw, the Japanese team said this was not acceptable.
    Japan coach Takeshi Okada repeatedly said that it was only results that mattered in such a big match and he was not contemplating anything but a win.
    "In our meeting I told the players that we should not think about any draw, meaning that we have to score so from the beginning," Okada told reporters. "We will start the match in order to win - that's all I said to the players today."
    Player Makuto Hasebe agreed it was possibly Japan's most important match.
    "Tomorrow a truly important match awaits us," he said. "We stake our whole lives on this match I believe so we are not looking for a draw we will be winning."
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