Danish play-off prize worth wait
Thursday, September 11, 2008
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Denmark coach Keld Bordinggaard said his players "practically exploded with joy" when confirmation came through that victory over Scotland was enough for them to qualify for the play-offs as one of the best runners-up.
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It was not until an hour after the final whistle had blown on Denmark's 1-0 win against Scotland on Tuesday that Keld Bordinggaard's side learned they had qualified for the play-offs of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Championship.
'Proud'
For coach Bordinggaard and his squad it was the longest wait, but when confirmation duly arrived it made the celebrations all the sweeter. "When the announcement finally came through, we practically exploded with joy," he said. "I actually found it a bit emotional because I saw just how happy the lads were. The boys who have achieved this can really be proud, and they definitely have my permission to celebrate. This is a great result for this generation."
Scotland defeated
Success at the Aalborg Arena moved Denmark into second spot in Group 6 on 16 points, and into contention to qualify as one of the four best runners-up. France, Belarus and Israel were sure of three of those places after finishing their sections in second position on 17 points, and Denmark, though level on points with the Netherlands and Croatia, claimed the final berth by virtue of a superior goal difference.
Jensen impresses
Attention now turns towards Friday's play-off draw in Malmo, a city close to the heart of midfielder Mike Jensen, who is on loan at Allsvenskan club Malmö FF from Brøndby IF. "The reason things are going so well is because I have played a lot at Malmö recently," said Jensen, one of Denmark's key performers against Scotland, who were beaten by Nicklas Pedersen's first-half goal. "I feel I've lifted my game a lot since joining them, and I hope some arrangement can be made so I can stay."
Bendtner chance
Having got this far, Denmark will hope to go all the way to the final tournament in Sweden next June, and they could receive an unexpected helping hand along the way. The senior team do not have a fixture scheduled for 14/15 October when the second leg of the play-offs takes place, so Arsenal FC striker Nicklas Bendtner will be available for selection. "I'm aware of this option, but at the moment I do not want to comment any further on it," Bordinggaard said.
