NETHERLANDS 2-0 DENMARK, Johannesburg, 14/06/10
Agger (OG) 46, Kuyt 85

Two second-half goals, one of them an own goal, were enough for the Netherlands to retain the UFWC title and start their World Cup campaign with a victory.

The first half was one of very few good chances, with both teams mostly restricted to long-range efforts as they failed to break through the defence in the final third of the pitch. However it was Denmark who had the two best chances of the half.

In the 27th minute a cross from Rommedahl found the head of Bendtner, who headed the ball just wide. Then in the 37th minute Kahlenberg broke into the box from the left and aimed a decent shot for the top corner but Dutch goalkeeper Stekelenburg was equal to it as he palmed it out of play.

Luckily for Dutch fans the second half started off much better, with a goal only 36 seconds after the restart. Robin Van Persie broke forward straight away and crossed the ball into the box. The ball found the head of Dane defender Simon Poulsen, who accidentally headed the ball backwards, and deflected off Agger into the net. The goal seemed to knock Denmark off their feet, as they failed to make any decent chances for the rest of the match.

Van Persie could have got a goal himself six minutes later, but his feet failed him as the ball went harmlessly wide. The game went into another period of relative calm after this, before the introduction of Eljero Elia for the Netherlands, as he burst forward splitting the defence open on several occasions, making it seem inevitable that the Dutch would score again.

And indeed they would, with Elia unlucky to not be the scorer. A through-ball from Sneijder set Elia one-on-one with Dane ‘keeper Sorensen. He succeeded in hitting the ball past the keeper but failed to score as his shot hit the post. But it all worked out as Kuyt had followed through after the shot, as he slotted the ball into an empty net.

It wasn’t all bad news for Denmark as Poulsen gained a measure of redemption by clearing the ball off the line after Afellay headed the ball past Sorensen.

This victory makes this the second-best reign in UFWC history with 16 defences so far. The Netherlands’ next title match will be on June 19th against Japan, which we will preview for you later.

Match Reports Denmark, Netherlands

NETHERLANDS vs DENMARK, Johannesburg, 14/06/10

The first UFWC title match in 12 years to take place at the FIFA World Cup will see the Netherlands defend their crown against fellow European qualifiers, Denmark.

The Netherlands have already had an incredible reign as UFWC champions, having defended the title 15 times in a row, the joint second-best record in UFWC history, tieing with Germany and beaten only by Scotland, who achieved 20 consecutive defences between 1880 and 1888.

Having had an unbeaten World Cup qualifying campaign and a string of great results since then, the team will be high on confidence, but are yet to find out if Arjen Robben will be in the team or not, having suffered an unfortunate injury in their warm-up match with Hungary. A scan later today will reveal whether he will be present in South Africa or not.

Unlike the Netherlands however, Denmark’s form has stuttered recently. Having qualified for the World Cup as winners of their qualification group, they seem to have lost their edge recently, having lost three of their last four matches, against Austria, Australia and South Africa. Their last match in the UFWC was in 2008, when they failed to defeat Hungary to claim the title as the match ended 0-0. They have won the UFWC title on three separate occasions; the last time they held the title was in 1989.

So who will triumph? Will the Netherlands continue their unbeaten streak, or will Denmark cause an upset to reclaim the title for the first time in 21 years? The odds suggest that it will be the Netherlands: they are 4/7 to win the match, and 1/12 to retain the title, while Denmark are 11/2 to claim the trophy.

One way or another, history will be made. The question is, who will make it?

Match Previews Denmark, Netherlands

HUNGARY 0-0 DENMARK, Budapest, 06/09/08

An uneventful goalless draw in Budapest saw Hungary retain the UFWC title in this World Cup qualifier.

Denmark had the majority of the possession and came closest to scoring, with Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner striking the post from a free kick.

Hungary played with a single striker, and Szabolcs Huszti had the best of their chances just before half-time, latching onto a mistake from Martin Laursen but being denied by goalkeeper Stephan Andersen.

Hungary will take the title into their second World Cup Qualifier against Sweden on Wednesday. Sweden also drew their first qualifier 0-0, playing out a stalemate with Albania.

Hungary: Gabor Babos, Zoltan Szelesi, Vilmos Vanczak, Roland Juhasz, Laszlo Bodnar, Krisztian Vadocz, Pal Dardai, Zoltan Gera, Tamas Hajnal, Balazs Dzsudzsak (Sandor Torghelle, 46), Szabolcs Huszti (Gergely Rudolf, 90).

Denmark: Stephan Andersen, Lars Jacobsen, Martin Laursen, Daniel Agger, Christopher Poulsen, Daniel Jensen, Christian Poulsen, Martin Vingaard (Jonas Borring, 62), Dennis Rommedahl, Nicklas Bendtner (Marc Nygaard, 87), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Martin Retov, 68).

Match Reports Denmark, Hungary