Eljero Elia and Ibrahim Affelay in the second half provided the zip and zest missing in the Dutch attack. Elia down the left was a handful with his pace and ability to cut in. Affelay provided his energy and drive down the right. With Sneijder in the middle, the trio really opened up the game for the Dutch.
Sneijder slipped Elia the ball in the box and the winger sidestepped to angle the ball across goal past Sorensen only for it to hit the upright. Luckily for the Dutch, the indefatigable Kuyt was on hand to guide the ball in.
Affelay coming in for Robin Van Persie almost got another after Sneijder fed him the ball but Simon Poulsen saved heroically off the line to prevent the Dutch from adding to the goalscore.
Denmark’s last win against the Netherlands came in 1967 was a 3-2 effort in the European Cup qualifiers. The Dutch extend their current winning streak to 20 games.
The match was slow, methodical, probing, with lots of short passes and the occasional quick burst to break the lull when Bert van Marwijk introduced Elia in the 67th minute for Van Der Vaart. Almost immediately, the Hamburg winger, 23 years of age, took over the left wing showing an explosive step which left the Danes in the dust and fed the ball into the goal for what could have been a sensational start. His talent was quite obvious.
Elia has already won the Johan Cruyff award for the most promising young player in 2009. The winger is being courted by a number of clubs which include Arsenal and Man City.
Similarly, Ibrahim Affelay, the recipient of the 2007 Johan Cruyff award made PSV his home for the last seven seasons where he has become a mainstay in the midfield. His appearances at the World Cup could help cement a regular first place and a ticket to the bigger European leagues.
Look out for these two from the bench. The Dutch need them if they are to fill the absence felt by Arjen Robben.