Free-kick double puts Japan on course for last 16

Superbly executed free-kicks by Keisuke Honda and Yasuhito Endo put Japan 2-0 ahead of Denmark and on track for the last 16 of the World Cup at half-time in their Group E clash here on Thursday.

Denmark, who needed to win the match to progress at the expense of opponents requiring only a point, were floored by two moments of real quality in an opening period in which they had initially been on top.

Denmark spurned an early chance when skipper Jon Dahl Tomasson failed to connect with Simon Poulsen’s deflected cross and might have had a penalty from the resulting corner, Per Kroldrup apparently impeded by centreback Yuji Nakazawa as he volleyed wide at the back post.

Japan hit back with two chances in quick succession. Honda was thwarted at close range by Thomas Sorensen’s legs before skipper Makoto Hasebe, played clear through the inside right channel, struck a drive fractionally over the angle of bar and post.

Cutting in from the left, Tomasson then saw his attempt to place a shot beyond Eiji Kawashima run just beyond the far post before Japan claimed a 17th-minute lead.

A free-kick conceded 35 yards out did not seem to present a major danger and Honda’s shot was not struck with full power.

Sorensen, though, misread it, moving initially to his left before failing to get back across to his right in time to prevent the strike from finding the corner of the net.

The Stoke goalkeeper was arguably at fault on that one but there was little he could do about Japan’s second, on the half-hour mark.

Kroldrup was booked for pulling down Yoshito Okubo on the edge of the area and Endo stepped up to dip a David Beckham-esque free-kick over the corner of the wall and just inside Sorensen’s left-hand post.