Just over a week into the World Cup our first nation have earned their international stripes and progressed through the group stages, while with sadness in our voices we say farewell to the first team as well; Paul le Guen’s Cameroon. All this without mentioning the obligatory Australian red card that sandwiched all the action in Group E…

The, unfortunately, very much domitable Lions crashed out of the tournament when Denmark unlocked their defensive line and wound out 2-1 victors. After his unexpected dropping for Cameroon’s miserly first game, Alex Song was recalled to the line-up and Le Guen rightfully reinstated star player Samuel Eto’o at the front line of the attack.

All was looking hunky dory early on when the Danish defensive line were handing out the bacon, serving it up on a plate for Pierre Webo to provide that man Eto’o inside the first quarter of an hour – advantage Cameroon. Denmark then settled themselves into the game and a thrilling and thoroughly entertaining end to end affair ensued, with two very much polarising players ultimately providing the difference for the Danes; previously touted striker Nicklas Bendtner scored and made a goal, as did winger Dennis Rommedahl with a sumptuous cross and exquisite finish.

Just last weekend I was in discussion with my father, a lifelong Charlton fan, about Rommedahl, who was in defense of a man who was nothing short of intolerably inconsistent at club level. 1-0 to Goddard Snr, it seems, and 2-1 to Denmark as a result of the top class work on show. Simon Kjær also happened to pick up his second yellow card in two games, so will be suspended from Denmark’s must win tie against Japan this Thursday too – fantasy managers take note.

A spirited, much improved performance by Cameroon that just didn’t prove up to muster in the end, other players lacking in front of goal where Eto’o succeeded. While Le Guen has already refused to resign from his managerial spot we wave an early goodbye to the first of 31 unsuccessful participants in this here tournament.

Back in Group D, our Antipodean neighbours kept their qualification hopes alive against one of the more successful African nations so far – Ghana – despite their best attempts to do themselves no favours. Coach Pim Verbeek called Harry Kewell, Mark Bresciano and Bret Holman into his line-up and they all ended up dictating the result one way or another. Bresciano started by hammering a long range free kick at goal which goalkeeper Richard Kingson failed to deal with so Bret Holman reacted fasted and Australia were off to a perfect start.

Things went a bit Billabong from there when Kewell was sent off for handling the ball on the line, and Asamoah Gyan converted the resulting spot kicks. Two in two games for both sides – a second sending off for Australia, and a second Gyan penalty in a row. I wonder what odds our friends Paddy Power are offering on some trebles?

Both sides continued to attack, Ghana trying to capitalise and Australia going for broke, with Kevin-Prince Boateng the most threatening and profitable as the only player to walk away with 2 attacking bonus points. In the end no-one did provide that final spark and the game finished 1-1 with Australian hopes still hanging in there by a thread and Ghana currently topping the group with their destiny very much in their own hands, a draw against Germany on Wednesday would be enough for the Black Stars to progress.

On a brighter note, in kit – of course – as well as results, Holland guaranteed themselves a place in the knockout stages without ever really showing us their full potential (so far). A second secure but unemphatic performance was more than enough in the end for the unchanged Netherlands to get the better of Japan under the South African sunshine.

La Naranja Mecánica dominated possession and held Japan at bay when they broke free from their lines until Wesley Sneijder blasted a Robin Van Persie knock back into the net from outside the box with either, a) sheer force, b) the much talked about jabulani ball or c) sloppy goalkeeping being the difference maker for the Dutchman’s vital goal, the game finishing 1-0 with little sparkle. The soon to return Arjen Robben may yet rectify such problems.

The Holland number 10 was one of only two players able to pick up any attacking bonus in this game (the other being Makoto Hasebe of Japan) making the 11 rewarded to England the night previous seem even more confusing – the frustrating rule changes proving that pass masters may suffer from the whittling down of sources here – I’m personally interested see how the elegant Spain deal with the changes.