Denmark continuing to mature

Is there life after the Laudrups? Danish football fans held their breath but their country’s footballers answered the question with a resounding yes on a thrilling night in Naples just over a year after the mercurial brothers bowed out from international football.

Gripping quarter-final
Michael and Brian Laudrup retired after Denmark’s impressive showing in the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where they were eliminated 3-2 by Brazil in a gripping quarter-final, and many felt their departure would be too much for the team.

Facing elimination
That criticism was reinforced in the early qualifying rounds for EURO 2000™, when Denmark drew against Belarus and Switzerland and lost at home to Wales and Italy. Two points from four games and the 1992 UEFA European Championship winners were facing elimination.

Crucial four days
But coach Bo Johansson kept his cool and Denmark turned the corner in a four-day period with a 1-0 home victory over Belarus, thanks to a goal direct from a corner by defender Jan Heintze, and 2-0 defeat of Wales at Liverpool FC’s Anfield stadium, two goals in the final six minutes enough to secure a vital three points.

Win looked in vain
Three months later, in September 1999, Denmark knew they needed to record victories over Switzerland, at home, and away to Italy, to progress to a play-off. Confidence was high after the first half of the objective was achieved, albeit with a narrow 2-1 win, but the triumph looked in vain as the Danes conceded two goals in the first 34 minutes in Naples.

Zoff’s first defeat
In a game which Johansson described as “one of those matches that makes coaches a lot older in a matter of minutes”, Denmark’s most-promising youngster since the Laudrups, Martin Jørgensen, scored a penalty shortly before the interval to give his side hope. The visitors were in inspired form after the break, half-time substitute Morten Wieghorst firing home an instinctive shot after 58 minutes to equalise before Feyenoord’s Jan Dahl Tomasson benefited from a deflection to score the winning goal. It was Dino Zoff’s first defeat as Italy coach in over a year in the job.

Convincing play-off victory
The Italians went on to win the group but Denmark sailed past Israel over two legs in the play-offs, winning 5-0 away and 3-0 at home, to qualify for the Low Countries. Fate did not smile on the Danes, however, and they were horrified to be drawn in the same group as co-hosts the Netherlands, world champions France, and the Czech Republic, rated by many as a decent outside bet to win the tournament.

Three defeats
The first match was a one-sided affair as Denmark were steamrollered 3-0 by the French. In the next game, Johansson’s side held out for almost an hour before caving in to Dutch pressure, losing by the same score. With nothing to play for but pride, Denmark were brushed aside 2-0 by the Czechs to signal the end of a miserable competition for the Scandinavian nation.

Tricky qualifying group
Following a tournament in which his side failed to register a single point or goal, Johansson ended his tenure as coach. Morten Olsen, a former Denmark defender and AFC Ajax coach, took over the reins and was immediately handed a tricky qualifying group for the 2002 FIFA World Cup that included the Czechs, Bulgaria and Northern Ireland.

Successful campaign
As it transpired, Denmark were rarely troubled in the campaign, finishing unbeaten in their ten qualifying matches. The rise of a number of young outfield players - such as FC Schalke 04 striker Ebbe Sand, Jesper Grønkjaer of Chelsea FC and Milan AC’s Thomas Helveg - helped the side to 22 goals and six victories, while Sunderland AFC goalkeeper Thomas Sørensen responded well to the challenge of filling Peter Schmeichel’s gloves, conceding just six goals.
 
Building for the future
Even more promising, some argue, were strong performances in friendly matches against the two teams who humiliated them at Euro 2000™. Denmark lost 1-0 to France in a close encounter in Nantes and then drew 1-1 with the Dutch as Olsen set about fine tuning a team that looks well capable of impressing at Korea/Japan and securing a berth at the 2004 European Championship in Portugal.