Denmark's defence can keep the Dutch stars in check, says FanZoner Lee Norton.
Lee Norton gets ready to shout: "Back of the Netto!"
It's almost here and the excitement is getting unbearable, this is going to be a fantastic World Cup.
Denmark's opening game is their biggest (but perhaps not their most important), on Monday they meet the might of the Netherlands. There's no doubting that the Dutch are the favourites to top the group, but a decent performance from Denmark in this game could put a spanner in the works.
The news that Thomas Sorensen has been "100 per cent fit for some time" is great news and even though Stephan Andersen has been used in their recent warm-up matches, it's a massive boost for the Danes if they have their number one goalkeeper fit for the opening game.
I think the defensive side of Denmark's team will be key in this game. Morten Olsen has only taken three strikers to the World Cup and they only managed 16 goals in their 10 qualifying games so don't expect a goal-fest on Monday. If they're not going to score many goals, they are going to have to run a tight ship at the back.
Stifling the likes of Robin van Persie, Dirk Kuyt and Wesley Sneijder will be very important but entirely possible, and as long as Denmark's aging midfield can keep up with their counterparts I think Daniel Agger, Per Kroldrup and the likes will be able to keep them in check.
Impact
One to look out for in the opening game will be Ajax's young midfielder Christian Eriksen. He's only 18 but his style of play is exciting to watch and although he probably wont start the game I'd expect him to be used as an impact substitute and he could very well change a game in the favour of the Danes.
A draw would be a superb result for Denmark in this game, they'd then be guaranteed progression if they went on to beat Cameroon and Japan in the remaining games so don't be surprised if this game turns out to be quite a cagey affair.
I'm confident with in the back line up and will optimistically predict a 1-1 draw in this match so Kom Danmark (thanks to Niels Bundgaard for that one).
I'm now off to eat more Danish pastries, smothered in Lurpak, bought from my local Netto supermarket (sorry Lars, I couldn't resist).
Best of luck lads.
