World Cup preview: Denmark
Coach: Morten Olsen
Key player: Thomas Sørensen
Previous best: Quarter-finals 1998
Probably the best Denmark team since the one that fell at the quarter-finals to Brazil in 1998, the Scandinavians head to South Africa in good heart, and with good reason.
The Danes finished top of their qualification group, above Portugal and – much to their delight – Sweden, with the 3-2 win in Lisbon in just their second match – a victory achieved courtesy of two injury-time goals – proving to be the result that kick-started the ultimately successful campaign to qualify for their first World Cup since 2002.
Back then they were overpowered by England in the second round, but they look stronger on paper this time around, with players scattered around in top European leagues managed by an experienced and talented manager.
Morten Olsen has been in his position for 10 years, taking charge of over 100 matches for Denmark, after he earned 102 caps for his country as a midfielder.
Boasting a fairly settled side, Olsen is likely to rely upon experienced Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen, especially in Denmark’s opening match against group favourites the Netherlands. A good result there sets the Danes up for progression from the group.
In defence, Liverpool centre-back Daniel Agger is likely to be joined by Palermo’s highly-rated 21-year-old Simon Kjær, but further forward it is all about experience, with the likes of Martin Jørgensen, Dennis Rommedahl, Jesper Grønkjaer and captain Jon Dahl Tomasson all featuring heavily. There are younger talents too though.
Arsenal’s Nicklas Bendtner will be looked to for goals, and will be full of the confidence that his game so often needs after a season in which his importance to the Gunners increased.
There is a top striker lurking within the 22-year-old, who has already amassed over 30 caps for his country, and a good World Cup could bring that out in him. Arsène Wenger sees him very much as a work in progress, and while that patience hasn’t always been reflected by the ever-demanding Arsenal support, he has all the tools to succeed.
As do Denmark here, by their standards anyway, but in both cases there are great degrees of unpredictability.
In defence they look strong.
Agger has assumed great importance to Liverpool, but he is injury-prone, and Olsen will be concerned that he might not be able to manage three games in 10 days during the group stages, while although Kjær is rated highly, he is inexperienced.
Behind them, Sørensen is a safe pair of hands, but he too has had his injury problems. After being linked with a move to Bayern Munich in the winter transfer window, the Stoke City goalkeeper will be motivated to impress though.
It looks like a head-to-head battle with the Cameroon to finish second, a battle that could come into sharp focus when the two meet in the group’s second match.
The Danes will be favourites to progress from there, with their final match against Japan offering a great chance to pick up what should be a vital three points.
That would set up a potential second round clash with Italy, which would spell the end of the line for Olsen and Denmark.
No quarter-finals this time then.
Probably.
Denmark squad
1 Thomas SØRENSEN (Stoke City)
2 Christian POULSEN (Juventus)
3 Simon KJÆR (Palermo)
4 Daniel AGGER (Liverpool)
5 William KVIST (FC Copenhagen)
6 Lars JACOBSEN (Blackburn)
7 Daniel JENSEN (Werder Bremen)
8 Jesper GRØNKJÆR (FC Copenhagen)
9 Jon Dahl TOMASSON (Feyenoord)
10 Martin JØRGENSEN (AGF Aarhus)
11 Nicklas BENDTNER (Arsenal)
12 Thomas KAHLENBERG (VfL Wolfsburg)
13 Per KRØLDRUP (Fiorentina)
14 Jakob POULSEN (AGF Aarhus)
15 Simon POULSEN (AZ Alkmaar)
16 Stephan ANDERSEN (Brondby)
17 Mikkel BECKMANN (Randers)
18 Soren LARSEN (Toulouse)
19 Dennis ROMMEDAHL (Ajax Amsterdam)
20 Thomas ENEVOLDSEN (FC Groningen)
21 Christian ERIKSEN (Ajax Amsterdam)
22 Jesper CHRISTIANSEN (FC Copenhagen)
23 Patrick MTILIGA (Malaga)
Click here for previews of Denmark's Group E opponents:
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Cameroon-a12422
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Japan-a12426
http://www.senore.com/World-Cup-2010-preview-Netherlands-a12428
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