Group E: Who’s the favorite?

Holland went undefeated in qualifying, but find itself in a group where advancing to the Round of 16 will still be challenging. Group E features three teams with many top international players. Especially with Arjen Robben still sidelined, Cameroon is not far behind the Netherlands in top quality talent. If either should stumble, Denmark is a solid squad that could advance.

Netherlands – Players in the top 5 European leagues        
             
Name Position Team League OR DR TR
Eljero Elia Fwd Hamburg Germany +0.70 +0.07 +0.77
John Heitinga Full Atletico Madrid Spain +0.49 +0.22 +0.71
Arjen Robben Fwd Bayern Munich Germany +0.50 +0.16 +0.66
Robin Van Persie Fwd Arsenal England +0.52 +0.13 +0.65
Wesley Sneijder Mid Internazionale Italy +0.11 +0.51 +0.62
Mark Van Bommel Mid Bayern Munich Germany +0.30 +0.17 +0.47
Klaas-Jan Huntelaar Fwd Milan Italy +0.14 +0.31 +0.45
Dirk Kuyt Fwd Liverpool England +0.16 +0.21 +0.36
Rafael Van Der Vaart Mid Real Madrid Spain +0.64 -0.32 +0.32
Ryan Babel Fwd Liverpool England +0.00 +0.25 +0.26
Nigel de Jong Mid Man. City England +0.09 +0.05 +0.24
Joris Mathijsen Full Hamburg Germany +0.14 +0.01 +0.16
Khalid Boulahrouz Full Stuttgart Germany +0.11 +0.01 +0.12
             
Denmark – Players in the top 5 European leagues        
             
Name Position Team League OR DR TR
Daniel Agger Full Liverpool England +0.21 +0.39 +0.60
Nicklas Bendtner Fwd Arsenal England +0.22 +0.23 +0.45
Soren Larsen* Fwd Duisberg Germany -0.69 +1.11 +0.42
Simon Kjaer Full Palermo Italy +0.22 +0.11 +0.33
Thomas Sorensen Goal Stoke City England +0.00 +0.20 +0.20
Christian Poulsen Mid Juventus Italy +0.15 +0.03 +0.18
Per Kroldrup Full Fiorentina Italy -0.20 +0.31 +0.11
Daniel Jensen* Mid Werder Bremen Germany -0.25 +0.27 +0.02
Thomas Kahlenberg Mid Wolfsburg Germany -0.07 +0.04 -0.02
Patrick Mtiliga Full Malaga Spain -0.39 +0.01 -0.38
Lars Jacobsen Full Blackburn England -0.22 -0.56 -0.77
             
Japan – Players in the top 5 European leagues        
             
Name Position Team League OR DR TR
Makoto Hasebe Mid Wolfsburg Germany +0.44 -0.16 +0.28
Takayuki Morimoto Fwd Catania Italy -0.01 -0.10 -0.11
Daisuke Matsui Mid Grenoble France -0.16 -0.19 -0.35
             
Cameroon – Players in the top 5 European leagues        
             
Name Position Team League OR DR TR
Alexandre Song Mid Arsenal England +0.36 +0.17 +0.53
Samuel Eto’o Fwd Internazionale Italy +0.37 +0.14 +0.51
Aurelien Chedjou Full Lille France +0.30 +0.20 +0.50
Joel Matip* Mid Schalke Germany -0.04 +0.49 +0.45
Stephane Mbia Full Marseille France +0.13 +0.27 +0.40
Jean Makoun Mid Lyon France +0.25 +0.10 +0.35
Benoit Assou-Ekotto Full Tottenham England +0.22 +0.08 +0.31
Sebastien Bassong Full Tottenham England +0.16 +0.07 +0.23
Guy N’dy Assembe Goal Valenciennes France   +0.08 +0.08
Gaetan Bong Full Valenciennes France +0.14 -0.07 +0.07
Carlos Kameni Goal Espanyol Spain   +0.07 +0.07
Achille Emana# Fwd Real Betis Spain -0.16 +0.13 -0.03
Pierre Webo Fwd Mallorca Spain +0.05 -0.14 -0.09
Nicolas N’Koulou Full Monaco France -0.15 -0.09 -0.23
Mohammadou Idrissou Fwd Freiburg Germany -0.07 -0.19 -0.25
Eric Choupo-Moting* Fwd Nuremburg Germany -0.37 -0.46 -0.84

*Limited minutes

#2008-9

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