Group E final group games

Japan 3-1 Denmark

Japan went into the game knowing a draw would be enough for them to qualify. Denmark knew they needed a win. The equation was fairly simple.

Denmark and Japan both traded early opportunities which both were unlucky to convert but fairly early in the first half it was Japan who took the lead. Given a free kick on the right hand side from 35 yards out Honda hit it with blistering pace and swerve and the ball nestled in the top left hand corner of the net. Sorensen moved the wrong way initially before diving full stretch, missing his outstretched fingers by a whisker. You have to feel a little sympathy for Sorensen - the flight of the ball was deceiving and one wonders how much influence the Jabulani ball had on the swerve. Nevertheless it was a wonderful free-kick in a tournament devoid of quality free-kick goals.

The Netherlands didn't learn their lesson and conceded another free-kick - this time more central and closer to the box. Endo stepped up and curled it beautifully round the wall, Sorensen had no chance. From 2-0 down it was a long way back given that Denmark now needed 3 goals. Endo had another free-kick from a massive distance in the second half and he almost did a 2002 World Cup quarter-final Brazil v England Ronaldinho special. Sorensen was Seaman on this occasion and he would have been delighted to get just enough hand to the floating ball to guide it onto the crossbar. Very close and very nervy though.

Tomasson had opportunities to pull the score back, one in particular saw him in a great position only to scuff his shot. But overall Denmark did not show enough in attack. Their supposedly creative team with a strong defence that had aided them so well through qualification was lacking. Larsen managed a fantastic volley against the bar and with ten minutes remaining Denmark had a life-line as they were awarded a penalty. Tomasson did his best to miss as Kawashima saved, only for Tomasson to bundle home the rebound and equal a Danish goalscoring record. 

Honda completed the job however, setting up Okazaki after taking it past one and slipping the ball across to him. It was sumptuous from Honda, only emphasising a masterful display from him. Japan eased into the second round, taking 2nd spot.

Netherlands 2-1 Cameroon

The Netherlands knew they only needed a draw to guarantee top spot and Cameroon knew they were only playing for pride having already been eliminated. Cameroon therefore took the opportunity to blood some youngsters, and a number of them impressed. The Netherlands played well, demonstrating neat and clever interplay that created a good number of chances. This finally paid off in the 36th minute after a sublime one-two between van Persie and van der Waart ended in a crisp finish for van Persie.

Cameroon played some quality football which resulted in a number of opportunities that the Netherlands did well to thwart. When the equaliser finally came it was from the spot. Eto'o converted clinically after a hand ball.

When the Netherlands winner came it was quite special. Sneijder set up the attack with a quality through ball, Robben's poor touch looked to have taken the ball away but he created space for himself, hit a fantastic shot against the post and Huntelaar slotted into an open goal - from a tight angle.

The Netherlands have nine points from nine and don't appear to have hit their straps. Cameroon were very weak in their opening game but probably deserved to register at least one point at the World Cup.

Group E permutations

What is required to progress from Group E?

Netherlands: Qualification is already confirmed and they only need a draw with Cameroon to confirm top spot. How can they miss out on top spot and get second instead? This requires Cameroon to win and either Japan to overcome a 3 goal deficit or Denmark to overcome a 4 goal deficit. In either scenario if goal difference and goals scored are tied Netherlands will still finish top.

Denmark require a win over Japan to qualify. In this case they will finish second unless they can achieve a 4 or 5 goal swing. Unfortunately for Denmark their star centre-back Simon Kjaer is suspended for the game. They must hope Poulsen doesn't repeat errors from the earlier games.

Japan only require a draw over Denmark to qualify. Win or draw they will finish second unless they can achieve a 3 or 4 goal swing.

Cameroon are eliminated.

Group E's second set of games

Netherlands 1-0 Japan

The Netherlands ultimately had a straight forward win but they were made to work hard for it. We still haven't seen the vintage Dutch they are capable of but perhaps they are saving that for later in the competition. The first half was largely forgettable, the odd chance for either side went begging. Early in the second half, a few minutes after van Persie missed a beautifully crafted chance, Sneijder pounced on a loose ball and smashed a ferocious shot from 20+ yards - Narazaki got a fair bit on his attempted save but it wasn't enough, instead diverting its path slightly and hitting the empty net. Perhaps he should have done better but few could surely blame him for a shot that was just too hot to handle. Second half sub for Holland, Afellay, impressed - although he had two wonderful opportunities to increase the lead at the death, but was denied. Japan had played their part in the game but had not really created enough to possess a sustained challenge.

Denmark 2-1 Cameroon

This was perhaps the most open game of the tournament. It was end-to-end stuff with plenty of chances to both sides, helped by the often appalling defending. Cameroon had thankfully got their personnel and tactics right this time. Alex Song was back in the starting eleven and Eto'o was given a more central role. This paid dividends when Cameroon opened the scoring early. Poulsen (who had been guilty of the own goal against Japan) played a slack pass that enabled Webo to nip in and feed Eto'o for a nice finish. For Cameroon Eto'o and Emana had top games and Webo was good value except for his woeful shooting.

Denmark's first goal was a gorgeous move. Kjaer played an inch perfect downfield diagonal pass to Rommedahl on the right wing who squared it perfectly into the path of Bendtner to finish. The second goal Bendtner set up Rommedahl for a superb finish. Tomasson was disappointing as he was unable to find the back of the net, criminally wasting some excellent opportunities - and thereby failing to equal Poul Nielsen's 85 year record of 52 goals for Denmark.

Both sides were creative, had chances, missed sitters, had good interplay, scored nice goals in an intriguing match that could have gone either way.

Unluckily for Cameroon it resulted in elimination from the tournament.

Group E opening games

Netherlands 2-0 Denmark

The Netherlands have some of the best attackers in the world eg van Persie, van der Waart, Sneijder etc. They are usually fluid and exciting as well. In this game however they were not so fluent or fluid and instead it was a workmanlike Dutch performance. The Danes were even less threatening on attack. Having said that there were still opportunities for both sides and the Dutch showed occasional flashes of why we rate them so highly. The first goal came from an own goal. Poulsen headed it into his own goal from a van Persie cross (brushing the back of Agger). The second goal was a lovely move with a simple finish for Kuyt. Even the 18 year old Erikksen for Denmark couldn't quite light up proceedings for them. A bit of talent and quality experience from them from time to time but a largely forgettable performance by them.

Japan 1-0 Cameroon

The big talking points for me were 1) Samuel Eto'o being deployed on the right wing and 2) Alex Song not in the starting eleven (or even coming on as a sub). Eto'o couldn't get into the game often enough from right wing and lacked goalscoring opportunities from there. He still played well in that position, and I remember one instant when he eluded two defenders to make a good cross, but I hardly believe it is the best way to utilise the skills of their star man. I'm sure Le Guen has his reasons for not picking Alex Song but for me it was a shame as whenever I have seen him play he usually impresses me. It is telling that the closest Cameroon came to a goal was when right-back Mbia hit the crossbar.

Japan were nothing flash although they played a decent game. Their goal came out of nowhere and was a nice simple finish for Honda (after some shocking marking from Cameroon). Honda played well in midfield for Japan.

In truth it was a fairly pedestrian and weak game.

Group E preview

Cameroon

Strengths: Samuel Eto'o is one of the best strikers in the world. He has a strike rate of a little worse than one every two games and has consistently scored a lot of goals for big European sides such as Barcelona (where he was particularly prolific) and Inter Milan. His likely strike partner Webo is also talented, and has scored important goals for his country. Alex Song is a quality midfielder for Arsenal and takes on a more creative role for Cameroon than he does for his club side. Providing Cameroon are organised and keep good shape they do have good defenders including Spurs duo Assou-Ekotto and Bassong.

Weaknesses: One criticism often (with a degree of validity) levelled at Cameroon is that they are a one man team. It is certainly true that Eto'o's performances are crucial to the side - when he is in great form they are much more likely to win. There is also an element of petulance about Eto'o that may not be good for morale. Cameroon legend Roger Milla criticised Eto'o for not playing as well for Cameroon as he does in domestic football - Eto'o responded with a tantrum, threatening to walk out on the team. If he does play worse for Cameroon it is probably because he doesn't get the quality of service that he did say at Barcelona. Cameroon have often appeared disorganised in defence and the quality of some of their personnel is questionable. Their form in the friendlies has also been patchy.

Formation: It is very hard to pin down what their formation is likely to be at the World Cup. It may even change depending on the opposition. My pick is a 4-4-2 with the midfield 4 in a diamond but I could be completely wrong. In the recent friendly against Serbia they played 3-4-3 which resulted in goals and shaky defence (hence a 4-3 loss).

Manager: Former French international Paul Le Guen. As a manager he has been hit and miss. He led Lyon to 3 consecutive Ligue 1 titles and the Champions League quarterfinals in 2004. He has struggled for consistency with Rangers and PSV however. He took over in July 2009 when Cameroon were in grave danger of missing out on World Cup 2010 and turned things around to achieve qualification.

Qualification: In their final qualifying group Cameroon qualified comfortably in the end - 4 points ahead of Gabon. It was a lot tighter than the final points table suggested - a shocking start necessitated a change of manager in order to bring about a change of fortunes.

World Cup pedigree: Cameroon first qualified for the World Cup in 1982. They battled well to 3 draws (against Italy, Peru and Poland) which was not enough to qualify for the next round. The only other tournaments they have played in are the four consecutive world cup finals of 1990, 1994, 1998 and 2002. The only time they have progressed beyond the first round was in 1990 when they shocked and charmed the world reaching the quarter-finals defeating Argentina, Romania and Columbia on the way. (Check out an earlier blog post for more on their efforts in 1990 and the wonders of the legend Roger Mila).

Chance of progression from Group E: 50%, might just miss out.

Denmark

Strengths: There has been precious little about Denmark's chances at the 2010 World Cup. I feel they have been somewhat glossed over when this is possibly Denmark's best squad ever to come to a World Cup and is the very same Denmark who finished top of their qualifying group that included both Portugal and Sweden. I'm not even saying I'm very confident of them making the next round but I do think commentators haven't done them justice. Denmark has a strong defence which builds from the back. Agger and Kjaer are a strong centre-back pairing and both are composed on the ball. Christian Eriksen is 18 and the youngest player at the 2010 World Cup. He is rated as the next Laudrup (after the Danish legends Brian and Michael Laudrup) and this link explains why. He has only played 3 times for Denmark, I hope he gets an opportunity to show why Martin Jol rates him so highly. Tomasson is a quality and prolific goalscorer although it appears that Bendtner if fit may lead the line ahead of rather than alongside him. Tomasson and Rommedahl are both in the twilight of their careers but still exude quality.

Weaknesses: Denmark are struggling with a few injuries. Players have missed recently friendlies and are all battling to be fit for their opener with the Netherlands. These players include Kahlenberg, Kjaer, Tomasson, Sorenson and Bendtner. Denmark lacks strength in depth in a number of positions. They also have a number of solid personnel who will work hard and are technically good players but few of these players can be considered top class individuals who can change a game in an instant. In other words most of their players are what I would classify as second tier players. Also their form in the friendlies hasn't been particularly inspiring.

Formation: I believe Denmark have been contemplating whether to go with a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-2-1. Ultimately I think they may go with the former.

Manager: Morten Olsen has been manager of the Danish side for ten years. He also played approximately 19 years for the national team. He has a lot of experience and should have a steady and calming influence on his players as he will no doubt have seen it all!

Qualification: Denmark finished first in their qualifying group - ahead of both Portugal and Sweden. They beat Sweden home and away and ended up winning their group comfortably.

World Cup pedigree: Denmark have only competed in 3 World Cups: 1986, 1998 and 2002. On each occasion they got past through the group stage and in 1998 even made the quarterfinals.

Chance of progression from Group E: 60%, will probably finish second.

Japan

Strengths: Japan's greatest quality is in their ability to keep possession. They move it around, playing neat and tidy possession football almost as well as the top teams. They also boast a strong central defensive partnership of Marcus Tulio and Yuji Nakazawa. Honda is Japan's most exciting player. A creative midfielder playing at CSKA Moscow Japan will look to him to create plenty of goalscoring opportunities. Nakamura is another threat from midfield - with 24 goals in 95 games he is clearly dangerous in the attacking third. Both Honda and Nakamura are renowned for their free kick prowess. Japan have a lot of experience in their national squad - seven of them have over 70 international caps, 2 over 100.

Weaknesses: Japan's greatest weakness is in attack as they clearly lack players likely to penetrate the best defences. Their biggest hope in this area is Shinji Okazaki who scored 15 in his first 20 appearances although he only managed 1 in his next 8. Okazaki is supposed to have excellent composure and creativity. All the rest of Japan's strikers have a poor strike-rate and will have to take their game to another level if they are to profit in South Africa. They have lost their last three friendlies and have only scored 1 goal in their last 5 games. Clearly they find it difficult to translate possession into goals. Also 19 out of their 23 man squad play domestically in Japan which is a league not well known for it's strength. Time will tell how good the J League is.

Formation: Likely to be 4-1-4-1. If so expect Okazaki to get too isolated upfront. Nakamura may also have to settle for a place on the bench.

Manager: Takeshi Okada is in his second spell as Japan's manager and also played in the national side for 5 years in the 80's.

Qualification: Japan finished in the second automatic qualifying spot in their qualification (behind Australia) and only lost one game in their group (winning 4 and drawing 3).

World Cup pedigree: Japan made their first World Cup in 1998 and have qualified ever since. In 1998 and 2006 they didn't make it through the group stage - in 1998 they lost all 3 games by one goal and in 2006 they picked up a solitary point thanks to a 0-0 draw with Croatia. In 2002 (when they co-hosted the World Cup with South Korea) they made it through to the second round where they lost to eventual 3rd place finishers Turkey.

Chance of progression from Group E: 40%, won't disgrace themselves but probably won't progress.

Netherlands

Strengths: The Netherlands have a team packed with attacking flair and talent. Names like Robben, van Persie, van der Waart and Sneijder are all capable of putting any international side to the sword. The Dutch play beautiful, thrilling, fluid, exciting and majestic attacking football of the highest order. At least, that is what they are capable of. The Netherlands are certainly capable of winning the World Cup but we do seem to say that every time.

Weaknesses: The Netherlands have a slightly suspect defence. The individuals that make up their back 4 are probably the weakest individuals in the team. The key for them is making sure they are cohesive. This at least can paper over the cracks. Robben is under an injury cloud after suffering an injury in a recent friendly, he is expected to be fit at least by the second game. Others like van Persie have had an injury plagued season they will be hoping to put behind them.

Formation: The Netherlands are likely to play a 4-2-3-1/4-2-1-3 formation. There is speculation that they will attempt to play their fab 4 (Robben, van Persie, Sneijder and van der Waart) together which is a sight rarely seen. However Kuyt may have something to say about that. A more limited footballer he provides more defensive qualities and can still pop up with goals. The Dutch are likely to play 2 holding midfielders in van Bommel and de Jong which will allow the fullbacks a bit more freedom to link up with the attack.

Manager: Bert van Marjwik has been involved in management in some capacity for around 18 years. He won the UEFA Cup with Feyenoord in 2002 and this is his first foray into international management (which started in 2008). It's a reasonable CV but to be honest it's not great. Let's hope for the Dutch sake he comes up trumps!

Qualification: The Netherlands finished first in their fairly straight forward qualifying group, winning every game.

World Cup pedigree: The Netherlands are playing in their ninth world cup. In 1934 and 1938 they didn't make it past the group stage. They were then in the footballing wilderness for 36 years, not qualifying for another tournament until 1974. Then in both 1974 and 1978 the Netherlands reached the final only to lose to Germany and Argentina respectively. It remains a travesty that they did not win either as they played their brand of spectacular 'total football'. I would quite happily have them right these wrongs in 2010 and win the whole thing. In their other four world cups the Netherlands reached the second round twice, the quarters once and 4th place in 1998.

Chance of progression from Group E: 90%, probably in first place.

The romance of the underdog

One of the most exciting aspects of a World Cup is the story of an underdog deservedly progressing to the latter stages of a tournament.

I have assiduously followed 5 world cups in my life thus far (the first being 1990 when I was six), 2010 will be my sixth. I would like to outline the romantic story of one team from each of these tournaments who stunned the world and etched a special place in my heart. A bit of nostalgia perhaps but this will really get me into the mood. I promise I will begin my group by group analysis in my next post ;)

1990 Cameroon, and in particular Roger Milla.

Cameroon were in Group B with Argentina, Romania and the Soviet Union. The then little known African team played in the opening game of the tournament against defending champions Argentina and shocked the world with a 1-0 win through an Omam Biyick header. It was made all the more surprising as they had had a player sent off. They finished the game with 9 men but held on for a memorable victory. They had played with strength and verve and everyone sat up and took notice.

In their second game they faced Romania and pulled off an excellent 2-1 victory. Roger Milla scored both goals and after each he celebrated with a dance around the corner post. It was coined the 'Milla wiggle' and it was a goal celebration I cherished. To this day it is probably still my favourite celebration of all time. As a six year old and for the next few years I would run around the house pretending to score goals and then running to an imaginary corner flag and wiggling my bum in celebration. I was enamoured by his celebration and the fact he was scoring important world cup goals at the age of 38, which is old for an international footballer.

Assured of a place in the second round they let their guard slip and the Soviet Union beat them in their final group game 4-0.

Next it was the second round against Colombia, a team that included another one of my favourites, the talented Carlos Valderrama and the man with the craziest hair in football. 0-0 after 90 minutes heralded extra-time and an opportunity for my man Milla to step up again with 2 goals sending Cameroon through to the quarters. This was where his goal scoring exploits at the 1990 World Cup ended: 4 goals, all of them good goals and 2 of them top-notch. He also scored one goal at the 1994 World Cup to be the oldest man (42) to score a World Cup goal. Legend.

Cameroon had hit the quarter-finals against England. This was where their fairytale ended but not without a flourish. England led 1-0 at half time but 2 goals midway through the second half (in which Roger Milla had an important hand in both) put Cameroon in front. Their ill-discipline cost them as they conceded a penalty which Lineker converted to send the game to extra-time. Again they conceded a penalty and Lineker obliged to send Cameroon home. As a 6 year old boy I was clearly delighted that England had made the semis but I was left with a warm glowing impression of Cameroon and the mercurial Roger Milla.

1994 Bulgaria, and in particular Hristo Stoichkov

Bulgaria were drawn in Group D with Nigeria, Argentina and Greece. Their first game gave no suggestions as to what was to come as they were comprehensively beaten 3-0 by Nigeria. Their 2nd game proved they did actually have a group of quality players as they put Greece to the sword 4-0. The final match really got the heart nice and pumping however as they managed to fashion a famous 2-0 win over argentina!!

Even after these 3 games it was apparent what Stoichkov was all about. He had a massive on field temper, he was someone capable of scoring a lot of goals and had explosive acceleration, tenacity, and a penchant for taking unpredictable shots on goal. In short, he was quite a character.

The 2nd round game saw Bulgaria take the lead against Mexico thanks to a quality finish from Stoichkov. Mexico equalised from the penalty spot and there were no more goals. Bulgaria held their nerve in the penalty shoot-out.

A 2nd round win gave Bulgaria a tasty quarter-final tie with Germany. I have a vivid memory of my watching this game. I can see myself in my minds eye, absorbed, and I remember the pure delight at what happened.

Matthaeus gave Germany the lead early in the second half with a well taken penalty. On 75 minutes Bulgaria were given a free kick from around 30 yards out. Stoichkov took one of the best free kicks you will ever see for a perfect and crucial goal. 3 minutes later Letchkov scored a delightful glancing header which brought delirium to their fans. Bulgaria held on for a magical 2-1 win and a date in the semi-finals.

The semi-finals saw the end of the dream. Baggio scored twice for Italy in the first half and whilst Stoichkov pulled one back from the spot it wasn't enough. They then went on to lose 4-0 in the 3rd place playoff with Sweden but it was a memorable tournament. Even now as I flick my eyes down the Bulgarian starting eleven I well remember about half of them and how good they were. Stoichkov had the honour of sharing the golden boot with Baggio - both players scoring six in the tournament.

[Hristo Stoichkov and Roger Milla were named by Pele in his top 125 footballers of all time in 2004].

1998 Croatia, and Suker in particular

Croatia were drawn in Group H alongside Argentina, Japan and Jamaica. It was only their second appearance at a major tournament (and first at a world cup) since they had got independence from Yugoslavia. Results at the Group Stage were nothing wildly unexpected. Jamaica and Japan were both weak, Croatia managing 3-1 and 1-0 wins respectively. They were also defeated 1-0 by Argentina.

The second round saw Croatia achieve a narrow 1-0 win over Romania.

The quarter-final was where the fairytale really took flight. A comprehensive 3-0 win over Germany in a quarter-final was almost unheard of, especially from a decent but unfancied team like Croatia. Absolutely magic.

In the semi-final they lost narrowly to France. Suker had put Croatia in the lead but 2 goals from French defender Thuram was enough.

Croatia weren't finished yet though. In the third place playoff they overcame Holland 2-1 to finish 3rd. What an achievement for Croatia. Suker also got the golden boot with six goals - I was so happy every time he scored. He was such a clinical and natural goalscorer. Loved it.


2006 Senegal

You may be surprised that I haven't picked South Korea or Turkey who both made the semi-finals. The reasons for this are: I believe South Korea didn't deserve to be there - they had multiple refereeing decisions unfairly and blatantly go their way against Italy and Spain at the very least. (Being held in South Korea, at minimum the ref was influenced subconsciously). Turkey were exciting and a revelation. Hasan Sas was one of my favourite players at the tournament but a number of other of their players excited me also. They faced a few of the weaker teams on their way however, plus I'm not a fan of Turkey since Galatasaray fans killed two Leeds fans prior to a UEFA Cup game in 2000, but I'm not going to re-litigate that.

Senegal played World Cup holders France in the opening game of the tournament and shocked the world to win 1-0 evoking memories of Cameroon's opening game win against Argentina in 1990. France included players born in Senegal such as Patrick Vieira. They not only held the World Cup but also the European Championships and had players in their squad who were the top scorers in the preceding season in Serie A (Trezeguet), Premiership (Henry) and Ligue 1 (Cisse). Senegal had a team of almost unknown players - they played an excellent game and I was thrilled when Papa Bouba Diop put his name into world cup folklore by scoring the goal that won the game. They rounded their group off with a 1-1 draw against Denmark and a thrilling 3-3 draw with Uruguay.

Second round saw an entertaining match against Sweden. Operating under a golden goal system (whereby the first team to score a goal in extra-time won) Henri Camara scored a beautiful long range effort in the bottom left hand corner, after normal time had finished 1-1.

Their World Cup dream was over however in the quarter-final against Turkey. Another exciting game (it just so happened that every game Senegal played was an absolute delight of a match to my eyes) and this time the Golden Goal favoured the opposition - Ilhan Mansiz scoring the goal just minutes into extra-time.

Senegal had charmed the world and still remain only the second African team to make a World Cup quarter-final.

2010 Australia

2010 doesn't have an obvious romance choice. The only somewhat unexpected quarter-finalist was Ukraine. But they only had to finish ahead of Tunisia and Saudi Arabia in Group H. They then beat Switzerland on penalties in the following round after a dour 0-0 over 120 minutes.

My choice is Australia. Australia had their work cut out to qualify from a group containing Brazil, Croatia and Japan. Brazil are Brazil, Croatia were a strong team exuding quality all over the park and Japan had been talked up as a difficult team who could well be able to beat the Australians. They (the Aussies) had also charmed me with their qualification in a highly charged home and away playoff against Uruguay through a penalty shoot-out.

Australia, playing in their first World Cup in 32 years, opened up with an excellent 3-1 win over Japan. Japan took the lead in the first half. Cahill prodded the ball home to equalise on 84 mins. 2 or 3 mins later he scored a stunning long range effort only for Aloisi to wrap it up in the dying seconds with a fine solo effort. First goals ever for Australia at a World Cup and first win. Even as a pommie born Kiwi, damn it felt good.

This was followed by a creditable 2-0 loss to Brazil. In the last game against Croatia Aussie only needed a draw thanks to Japan's draw with Croatia. It was a full-blooded highly entertaining match with both sides throwing everything they had into the game. Srna scored a brilliant free kick in the opening minutes and Moore equalised with a penalty later in the half. In the second half Kovac regained the lead for Croatia after a mistake by goalkeeper Kalac who had strangely been picked ahead of Schwarzer due to his extra height. With just over 10 minutes to go Kewell calmly slotted home to the delight of the Aussies. This game was also famous for referee Poll failing to send Simunic off after giving him a 2nd yellow, waiting till his 3rd to give him his marching orders!

Aussie were through to the second round and a date with Italy! Australia competed well. Italy's Materazzi was given a controversial red card and then in the dying seconds of the game, locked up at 0-0, Grosso won a controversial penalty for Italy which Totti slotted home.

It was heartache for the Australians but they had proved to the world that they were a team of substance and not to be taken lightly.