2010 FIFA World Cup Day Four Results: Italy, Holland Get Lucky

Well, Holland started the tournament with a lucky goal, Japan had a historic World Cup Finals win, and Italy and Paraguay drew in such conditions it was somewhat surprising not to see 1,000 fans riding through the middle of the pitch on an ark.

It's been an eventful Day Four of the World Cup.

1) Italia!

You know when they say a picture is worth a thousand words? Well, the one above would have you think that Italy had just won a special match against a special team.

Well, not really: They'd just rescued themselves from an ignominious start to the World Cup 2010, thanks to Daniele De Rossi's second half goal that gave them a 1-1 draw with Paraguay.

Italy drew against the USA in the second game of the 2006 World Cup, then won the damned thing, and they should get out of their group pretty easily. But their team, who must average 80 years of age by now, will have to improve to have a chance to repeat four years ago.

2) Japan, rescued by a Honda

When I told a friend of mine that Japan was leading Cameroon 1-0 and the goalscorer was a chap called Honda, he laughed.

Well, how right was I?

The Japanese rescued one of the dullest games of the tournament thus far (it's just been edged out by Algeria-Slovenia) with a header from Keisuke Honda, who definitely showed accord with the Cameroon defenders, who let him past with ease. Let's not talk about the rest of the game—but for Japan? Victory!!

3) Holland: Better lucky than never

If you think that Holland's just cannabis and Amsterdam, then watch these guys play. It's a lot of fun.

But they were also lucky.

Denmark's Simon Poulsen and Daniel Agger contrived to score a gloriously amusing own-goal, and Dirk Kuyt slotted in a rebound from a shot that came out off the post.

This is a pretty good team, people.

4) And Denmark?

Denmark aren't a great team, and while we're expecting them to progress to Round Two, they need a better finisher than Nicklas Bendtner—who showed why most Arsenal fans don't like him by missing a pretty simple change from six yards out.

5) Paraguay's goalkeeper adds to stereotypes....

...about Latin American goalkeepers, who are famous for their inability to catch crosses. While he made a good save to stop his team going 2-1 down in the downpour, Justo Villar's attempted catch from a corner was just awful. He flew over to catch Pepe's corner, missed it horribly, and looked around as De Rossi put in the equaliser. It was like a crap Superman.

GRADES:

Holland: B-

Paraguay: C

Italy: C-

Japan: C-

Denmark: C-

Cameroon: D

Here's a lovely video for you: