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Team spirit the key
They may be a Schmeichel and a few Laudrups light these days
but Denmark remain a formidable force when it comes to international
football.
Great Danes
In the 2002 FIFA World Cup they emerged from the so-called
'Group of Death' with their heads held high, having defeated
defending champions France and Uruguay before their injury-hit
side were humbled 3-0 by England in the last 16. They then
impressively negotiated their way out of an equally challenging
qualification group for EURO 2004 featuring Romania, Norway
and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Fond memories
Best remembered for their dream team of the 1980s and the
side which earned a shock victory at the 1992 UEFA European
Championship in Sweden, the Danes pride themselves on being
a well-organised outfit who rise to the big occasion.
Great tactician
Coach Morten Olsen is a wonderful tactician and encourages
his sides to use width, pace and counterattacking football
to unsettle their opponents. Occasionally operating a 4-3-3
formation, Olsen favoured a more disciplined 4-2-3-1 system
at the World Cup, with prolific AC Milan forward Jon Dahl
Tomasson playing in the lone striking role.
Target man
Tomasson, who maintains a scoring rate of almost a goal every
two internationals, was Denmark's top scorer in their qualification
campaign, plundering an impressive five goals in their eight
games.
Sound goalkeeper
Aston Villa FC goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen has taken
over the gloves of goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel without
the team losing any of its defensive presence. Many believed
Schmeichel's retirement would signal the end of Denmark's
time as one of Europe's top sides but Sørensen, who
holds the English Premiership record for the number of clean
sheets in a single season, is an outstanding talent.
Strong defence
In front of Sørensen, Thomas Helveg is perhaps the
most important player in the Danish four-man rearguard. The
Milan star can play at right back, centre half and in the
holding role in midfield, but the Danes are at their strongest
when he operates at right-back with Martin Laursen in the
middle alongside René Henriksen and Niclas Jensen occupying
the left-back berths.
Midfield maestros
If the Danes lack depth in defence they more than make up
for it in midfield, where chief playmaker Claus Jensen, the
fast-developing Christian Poulsen and the ever-industrious
Thomas Gravesen battle it out for the two central positions.
Gravesen is a player who excels for his country and always
starts - although Jensen's form in England may see him selected
ahead of Poulsen.
Winged wonders
The front four sees fierce competition for places. Chelsea
FC forward Jesper Gronkjær, who can play on either flank,
and PSV Eindhoven's Dennis Rommedahl are usually employed
on the wings and their pace makes both crucial players in
Olsen's tactics to get behind their opponents' defence.
Sand can deliver
The central roles are usually occupied by FC Schalke 04's
Ebbe Sand playing just behind Tomasson in attack. However,
if Sand or Tomasson, who was second top scorer at the Korea/Japan
World Cup with four goals, are struggling for form then both
Peter Løvenkrands and Martin Jørgensen are more
than happy to take their places.
Plenty in reserve
Rangers FC striker Løvenkrands is tipped by many for
future stardom whilst Jørgensen, who scored in their
3-2 World Cup quarter-final defeat to Brazil in 1998, is at
his most dangerous in the hole behind the prolific Tomasson
and was preferred in the final few qualifiers to Sand.
Fierce opponents
Whichever combination Olsen plumps for in his four-pronged
attack, you can be sure that no team will be doing cartwheels
if they are drawn against a side featuring Helveg, Jensen,
Rommadahl and Tomasson. Few people outside Denmark would tip
them to go beyond the quarter-finals but similar prophecies
were made before EURO '92 and look what happened.
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