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Group E - Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon

Kweek

Cricketer Of The Year
pretty much a legend for Feyenoord as well, has been pretty superb in a very average team and has been key to the fact Feyenoord is not playing in the lower region of the Eredivisie plus he has been influential with a few excellent prospects that Feyenoord has such as De Vrije (17 year old rightback) and for players such as Vlaar who is regarded as a pretty good DC.

a lot of love for Feyenoord from me, weird for an Ajax supporter but it's a genetic thing apperently (my great granddad was the Chairman at Feyenoord from 1920/1925, the first chairman to make Feyenoord a more professional side + he got them to the highest division for the first time (they never relegated again)
 
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Steulen

International Regular
The world would be a much better place if everything Feyenoord suddenly disappeared in a puff of smoke. Can't stand the ****s.

Matthijsen is actually highly rated in Germany as well, where people do know what a good defender looks like. So maybe he's become a lot better than 2 years ago.
 

Magrat Garlick

Global Moderator
Matthijsen is actually highly rated in Germany as well, where people do know what a good defender looks like.
Might be more on name tbh (every Dutch footballer in Germany gets lauded :p ), kicker ranks him as having a pretty middling year (3.72 out of 6 average). And Germany's defence is even worse than Netherlands: Lahm doesn't know where he wants to play, nobody has a clue who can play next to Mertesacker and the other side back is a disaster...
 

Kweek

Cricketer Of The Year
Dutch and Danish fans target al-Qaida
AGHDAD — An alleged al-Qaida militant detained in Iraq said Tuesday he was plotting to attack Danish and Dutch teams at the World Cup in South Africa next month to avenge insults against the Prophet Muhammad.

Iraqi security forces holding a Saudi citizen identified as Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani arranged for The Associated Press to interview him at an unidentified government building in Baghdad. He said he initially came to Iraq in 2004 to fight Americans and was recruited by al-Qaida.

An Iraqi security official with knowledge of the investigation said al-Qahtani was arrested after a joint U.S.-Iraqi operation in April that killed the two top al-Qaida in Iraq figures — Abu Ayyub al-Masri and Abu Omar al-Baghdadi. The official asked not to be identified because he was not authorized to discuss details of the case.

Documents found in the house where they were killed, including a note written by al-Qahtani detailing the World Cup plot, led to his arrest on May 3. Iraqi authorities announced the arrest on Monday.

Abdullah Azam Saleh al-Qahtani

“We discussed the possibility of taking revenge for the insults of the prophet by attacking Denmark and Holland,” al-Qahtani told The AP. “The goal was to attack the Danish and the Dutch teams and their fans,” he added.

“If we were not able to reach the teams, then we’d target the fans,” he said, adding that they hoped to use guns and car bombs.

The alleged militant, who is about 30 years old with a mustache, was wearing an orange prisoner jumpsuit and had no outward signs of injury or abuse. He did not appear nervous or fearful.

It was unclear whether the militants had the ability to carry out what would have been quite a sophisticated operation — a complicated attack far from their home base.

A U.S. military spokesman referred all questions about al-Qahtani to the government of Iraq.

He said the idea came up in late 2009 during talks with friends over some publications in Western media they deemed offensive to Muslims.

In 2006, 12 cartoons of the prophet in a Danish newspaper sparked furious protests in Muslim countries.

In the Netherlands, an anti-Islam party has become the country’s fastest growing political movement. Its leader, Geert Wilders, calls the Quran a “fascist book” and wants it banned in the Netherlands. His 2008 short film “Fitna,” offended many Muslims by juxtaposing Quranic verses with images of terrorism by Islamic radicals.

He advocated closing borders to immigrants, and taxing clothing commonly worn by Muslims, such as headscarves, because they “pollute” the Dutch landscape.

Wilders’ popularity is partly a reaction to a spate of Islamic radical violence that sent shudders through the nation a few years ago. In 2004, a young Muslim from the Slotervaart neighborhood murdered Dutch filmmaker Theo van Gogh, who had produced a short film portraying alleged oppression of Muslim women.

Al-Qahtani said the World Cup was considered a high-profile international event and South Africa was thought to be easier to travel to than either of the two European countries they wanted to target.

The Iraqi security official said no steps had yet been taken to put the plan into motion, such as obtaining bomb-making materials.

Al-Qahtani said the plot still needed approval from the al-Qaida chain of command, specifically the group’s No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Vish Naidoo, a spokesman for South African police, said Tuesday that South African officials were still awaiting word from their Iraqi counterparts about the arrest. He said the only information South African officials had was from media reports.

FIFA said in a statement Tuesday it would not comment on any specific potential threats to the 2010 FIFA World Cup.

U.S. and Iraqi officials have said that the deaths of al-Masri and al-Baghdadi were considered a heavy blow to the terror group and its abilities to carry out attacks. Iraqi authorities have also said that materials obtained in their investigation and search of the safehouse where they were found has led them to other members of the organization and provided them with valuable intelligence about the group.
******* terrorists
 

0RI0N

State 12th Man
Got tickets for the Cameroon vs Netherlands game.
Gonna march with the 6000 or so Dutch fans from the FIFA fan park to the stadium.
Brb following the Oranje bus.
Gonna be f'n awesome.
Oh and R16 Quarter final and Semi final tickets.
 

Kweek

Cricketer Of The Year
Arjen Robben probably out of the WC, he to has been hit by the WC10 virus which has been sneaking around, although Robben is made from paper.
van Persie 5 goals in 3 warm up games...not bad although the opposition was pretty average.
our defense looks very weak, the only one who seems to do a good job is van der Wiel.
Mathijsen, Heitinga and van Bronckhorst look lost at times.
 

Steulen

International Regular
Looking forward to the Dutch game here.
Me too, looking for a nice attacking display and probably a silly goal after shock defending. Best thing is that I'm sending my research group on a mandatory course in Dealing with the Dutch. Lunchtime footy and pints on the boss' orders. The gits should love me.
 

Son Of Coco

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Am hoping to watch some of it at work as it'll be over by the time I get home. Cameroon v Japan not quite so interesting.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Can't say the Dutch have been all that great so far imo. Some nice interchanges through midfield though.

Mork will be happy with Denmark I imagine. He's not from there, but if it's ok to group all "colonial" football supporters together, surely it's ok to do the same with tiny Northern Euro nations? :ph34r:
 

grecian

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Actually a decent match, just lacking a goal. I have to say this is the first World Cup were I believe the "ball controversy" has some validity.
 

Noble One

International Vice-Captain
Oh noes.

Hope the own goal opens the game up more. Not the most exciting game thus far, few players have found any space.
 

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