Hello and welcome to our live updates between the Netherlands and Japan. The stakes are pretty high in this game as a victory to either side will put them on top of the Group and almost ensure qualification to the last 16.
There is a maxim in sport: Never change a winning formula. Both the Netherlands and Japan have gone by that maxim and have stuck to the same teams that emerged victorious against Denmark and Cameroon respectively.
The detailed team line-ups:-
Netherlands Maarten Stekelenburg, Gregory van der Wiel, John Heitinga, Joris Mathijsen, Giovanni van Bronckhorst; Dirk Kuyt, Mark van Bommel, Wesley Sneijder, Nigel de Jong, Rafael van der Vaart, Robin van Persie.
Japan Eiji Kawashima, Yuki Abe, Yuji Nakazawa, Tulio, Yuichi Komano, Yuto Nagatomo, Yoshito Okubo, Yasuhito Endo, Makoto Hasebe, Daisuke Matsui, Keisuke Honda.
For a fleeting moment the Netherlands coach must have felt inclined to start with the fit-again Robben or the very impressive Elia but he has hung on to his out and out wingers.
CSKA Moscow's playmaker Keisuke Honda, who scored the only goal of the game against Cameroon, would be again looking to set the cat amongst the pigeons.
All the pre-match headlines though, has been dominated by the English - and they are not even playing. Their banal display against the Algerians has left the English papers coming out with all sorts of verdicts. Read about >some of those verdicts as we build up to what promises to be a very absorbing contest.
The players are in the tunnel. The Dutch, forever, eternal bridesmaids at the world stage, will really be looking to make an intent here. The Japanese, meanwhile, have always been one of the leading lights of Asian football but they have not yet been able to reproduce their football at the world stage. Will they buck the trend and do Asian football proud?
Rise, for the national anthems.
The anthems have been sung and we are moments before kick-off.
The Netherlands has kicked-off. And they will be playing from left to right on your TV screens.
4th minute Some patient build-up from the Dutch earn them an early corner.
The pattern of the World Cup seems to continue here. The Dutch is having lots of early possession but the Japanese are prepared to play the waiting game.
8th minute Van Persie draws a challenge before winning a free-kick in the left channel. The free-kick, taken by Sneijder from about 22-yards, goes over the crossbar.
10th minute Kuyt, with his back to goal from just outside the six-yard box, tries an acrobatic bicycle kick but a Japanese defender blocks the shot. Van Der Vaart played in the teasing cross from the left for Kuyt after some good link-up play down the right.
13th minute Van Persie wins another free-kick down the left but it's cleared quite comfortably. The Dutch - 75% possession - is making all the early runs.
16th minute The Japanese make their first attacking foray into the attacking third but it comes to nothing.
Still the Dutch dominating possession wise but not much of it in the attacking third.
25th minute Van Persie, using his outstretched arm as a shield, tries to evade the close attention of one Japanese but is penalised for the offence. He, already on yellow card from the last game, will miss Holland's next game if he gets booked today.
Been a very dull opening with neither side testing the opponent keeper.
30th minute Gio and Van Der Vaart conbine down the left before the latter's pass into the six-yard box is cleared for a throw in.
33rd minute Japan has a promising set-piece but the delivery is cleared rather easily by the Dutch. They will have to make better use of the set-piece if they are to get something out of this, the Japanese.
36th minute Van Der Wiel is the first player to go into the book. The resultant free-kick does not produce the desired result.
37th minute And we have out first shot on target. Japan springs to life and after some intricate passing, Matsui tries one from 22-yards. The shot was never going to beat a keeper of Stekelenburg's ability. The Ajax keeper pouches the ball rather easily.
39th minute Van Bommel tries to bypass 10 Japanese players, yes, everyone are behind the ball and defending deep, and find Van Persie with a pinpoint pass but it is over-hit and goes out for a goal-kick.
41st minute The Japanese have a free-kick from a teasing area but Honda, who takes it, puts it over.
Stoppage Time: One minute
45+1: Van Der Vaart slams in a left-foot effort from the right but Kawashima holds it.
The half-time whistle blows and we are still deadlocked here - and it's not as if there has been myriad chances.
Both the teams have adopted a prudent strategy - as both won their first game - and have just been biding their time. Japan got into the game more as the half went on while the Netherlands were a bit sloppy giving free-kicks.
Join me in about five minutes for all the second-half action.
The second-half has kicked off. Japan, this time, will be playing from left to right on your TV screens.
48th minute A decent cross from the left is diverted goalwards by Van Persie. But the header, which was tame, is held by Kawashima.
49th minute Van Boomel releases Van Persie with a brilliant defence-splitting over-head pass but the Arsenal forward can't get his leg around in time and his weak shot goes embarrassingly wide.
51st minute Van der Vaart's left-footed free-kick from the right is put behind for a corner by a great defensive header.
53rd minute Netherlands 1-0 Japan. An absolute rocket of a goal from Wesley Sneijder who rifles in an unstoppable effort from just outside the box. Van Persie gets hold of a lose ball from inside the box and passes it to Sneijder. The Inter Milan man does not need a second invitation, and with no one really closing down, he thumps it in. Kawashima actually got more than a touch to that but it was just too strong an effort.
Japan has showed some attacking intent after the goal.
More on the goal. Kawashima looked like getting both palms on the ball but the ball took a wicked curve at the last minute and struck the 'keeper on the outside of his left palm before going in. Did Jabulani have a hand there?
The iconic Nakamura, arguably the most famous Japanese player, comes on to replace Matsui.
62nd minute Stekelenburg makes an other save. This time from an Endo free-kick which is flicked on by Abe.
The camera pans to Arjen Robben who is still in his training gear. What a bonus this will be for the Netherlands? To unleash a fit and a very fresh Robben as the World Cup reaches the knockout rounds.
70th minute Some more Japanese pressure. From a short corner, Endo finds Nakamura whose teasing ball into the box is hacked behind by Van Persie for another corner.
Elia replaces Van der Vaart.
75th minute Van Bommel finds Van Persie in a lot of space at the start of the attacking third. Van Persie, in turn, plays a first-time pass trying to release Kuyt through the centre but the pass is over-hit and the attack breaks down.
Substituions for the Japanese. Okazaki replaces Hasabe and Tamada comes in for Okubo.
78th minute Elia tries to spring Van Persie free through the centre but Kawashima sports the danger.
83rd minute Afellay replaces Sneijder.
85th minute And the substitute almost doubles the advantage. Afellay, superb pace and dribbling to boot, runs down the left before trying to slide in the Netherlands' second goal from eight-yards out but Kawashima blocks it. Van Persie had a simple tap-in if the youngster had opted for a cutback.
88th minute Huntelaar replaces Van Persie. Afellay again has a great opportunity. Huntelaar plays in Afellay but his shot is again blocked by Kawashima. Afellay could have bagged a brace on an other day.
90th minute Okazaki almost gets an equaliser. After being released into the penalty box, his rising shot just goes over the bar. That's the closest Japan has come in this half.
Stoppage Time: Three minutes
The final whistle is blown to the delight of the Dutch. After a frustrating opening period, Sneijder gave Holland the lead with a rasping drive from the edge of the box. After that, Japan had a couple of chances to restore parity but they could not take them.
Holland, themselves, through Afellay could have doubled the advantage but it did not matter in the end. A very solid performance and they are the only European side so far to claim six points from an available six points.
The Dutch will qualify to the round of 16 if Cameroon fails to beat Denmark in the next game of the group.
Join me again for the Brazil vs Ivory Coast encounter from 23:30 IST on Sunday.
