Happy to be alive: Denmark with fantastic momentum despite losses - Walla! Euro 2020

2021-06-26T17:13:32.422Z

She has lost twice, and her big star is almost dead on the pitch, but Denmark is actually in euphoria - and continues to see herself as the black horse of Euro 2020

Euro 2020
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Happy to be alive: Denmark has fantastic momentum despite losses

She lost twice, and her big star almost died on the field, but Denmark is actually in euphoria - and continues to see herself as the tournament's black horse.

A win over Russia (22:00, Sport 3) may give it a ticket to the quarter-finals from second place, and memories of Euro 92 hovering in the air

Tonight: Russia - Denmark (22:00 Sports 3)

To the full article

In a routine situation there was no forgiveness towards them.

Denmark players (Photo: AP, Hannah McKay)

In the match against Finland, Denmark had 23 attempted kicks, including a crushed penalty by Pierre-Emil Hoyberg.

The opponent, making his debut in a major tournament, sent just one ball into the frame of Caspar Schmeichel, and enjoyed a serious mistake by the Leicester goalkeeper to win 0-1.

In the match against Belgium, the Danes scored a goal very early and deserved to end the first half with a much bigger advantage.

After the break, Kevin de Bruyne was sent to the grass to recover from an injury, and the big star cooked and scored to complete a makeover on the way to a 1-2 draw.

The balance does not lie here either - 22 threats from the Danes compared to only 6 from the Belgians who were more effective.

The cumulative balance in kicks is 7:45 to Denmark, in goals she lost 3: 1.

In a routine situation, the media and fans would not show forgiveness towards the wasteful team. The players would be blamed for the inability to take advantage of opportunities, a lack of concentration in front of goal, a critical lack of talent. Schmeichel would have been blamed for the mistake and for failing to save his friends in the moment of truth. Were angry at the Weiburg for taking the penalty. However, we are not routine - far from it. Christian Eriksen's heart attack was a founding event that made the connection between the team and the crowd much stronger.

To be honest, the momentum has been relatively positive in the first place, since Casper Yulmand was appointed coach a year ago.

The inexperienced international professional, who has mainly coached Nusherland in his homeland, was to inherit the Norwegian Uga Arida after the European Championships according to the original plans.

The Corona has devoured the cards, and Euro 2020 has suddenly become its first challenge.

And while Arida has come under criticism for being too controlled and boring, Yulmand has completely changed that - while at the same time introducing a very open approach to the media.

Professionally, he is still standing the test, but his image can already be defined as a dizzying success.

A founding event that caused a strong connection between the team and the audience

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Yulmand sees himself first and foremost as a psychologist, and this was especially useful in the wake of the great trauma.

Eriksen's collapse on the grass at the end of the first half of the game against Finland was frightening and shocking.

The coach sharply criticized in retrospect UEFA's decision to force his players to complete the second half that evening, but did not inflate the incident beyond proportions, nor use it as an excuse. He also did not mourn the cruel fate after the unjustified loss to Belgium. First and foremost, Doug Yulmand to convey satisfaction from his trainees, as well as an expression of gratitude to the fans in the stands and across the country.This support is worth gold, and Eriksen’s tragedy has united the nation completely.

Until recently, considerable circles of the Danish public accused the actors of being cut off from the people. Some defined them as millionaires who forgot their roots, and in 2018 the low point was recorded when the stars of the team refused to show up for a friendly match due to a quarrel over the bonuses with the association. That anger vanished when Eriksen fell to the grass, captain Simon Kier recovered his tongue and saved his life, and all the other players behaved exemplary and admirable. "This is a turning point in the relationship between the fans and the team. There is no better leader than Yulmand, who conveys a holistic approach, fairness and integrity. The players have shown their human side, and everyone is now looking at them from a completely different angle," claims former stopper Lars Jacobsen.

Yulmand's optimism knows no bounds, at least outwardly.

The pair of losses really do not depress him, because he knows that everything is still in his hands.

A victory over Russia in Copenhagen in the last round - and Denmark will not finish home in second place, assuming that Belgium will beat Finland.

"The tournament starts for us now," the coach recently declared, adding a very positive outlook: "Portugal finished the Euro 2016 home stage with three points, barely qualified - and went on to win the gold medals. It is an encouraging precedent. We believe in ourselves too."

"You can't find a better leader."

Yulmand (Photo: Reuters)

If one has to sum up the feelings in one sentence, then the Danes are just happy to be alive. They are happy that Eriksen did not die - and that was not far from the testimony of his doctors. They are also happy that the team's chances are not dead - because after all, zero points after two rounds means a relegation, but not this time. Never before has there been such a positive momentum in a team that lost two games at the start of the tournament. In a sense, Denmark seems to have won these games. Consciously, in light of the drama she experienced, this is exactly what happened. The loss against Finland was a wind victory. The loss against Belgium was a victory due to the complete control of the pitch in most stages of the game. And now you just have to beat Russia - this time really, including the number of goals scored - to continue the successful journey ahead.

"It's pretty amazing. We have zero points, but feel euphoria in the air," says Walla! Danish sports journalist Michael Korshi. "People are not only confident that we will beat Russia, but also convinced that we will be favorites against Wales in the quarterfinals. Then maybe the Netherlands in the quarterfinals, and we already beat them in 1992. The miracle of that team hovers over the current squad, and the crowd's push. The alliance with the young team. "Yulmand's began to form gradually over the past year, becoming solid after the Eriksen drama. The fans here are dreaming big."

Journalist Swand Prandsen agrees: "The atmosphere is exceptional, and everyone feels in the clouds. Eriksen survived, and we became exemplary in dealing with such an extreme crisis. The players were there for each other, and also played phenomenal football against Belgium - we have not seen such quality from Denmark for a long time. We are convinced that we will defeat Russia, and by a considerable margin. "

And maybe this team does not have a striker like Ion Dal Thomasson or Abba Sand, not to mention Parban Elkiar, but even in the 1992 squad there was none. Then full-back Henrik Larsen became the Danes' outstanding conqueror, while John Jensen - a midfielder who barely found the net during his career - bombed an incredible missile against Germany in the final. And if you look for more similarities, then even then the genius playmaker is absent from the roster.

The reasons were completely different, because Michael Laudrup chose to boycott Muller Nielsen's team due to a conflict with the coach, but the bottom line is similar. The campaign 29 years ago was historic and bizarre, and the country in red and white is waiting, quite paradoxically, for a special reconstruction. Thomasson has already stated before the tournament that Denmark is capable of winning gold medals, and he has not yet changed his mind.

So tonight, against a gray Russian team, it will be one of the most exciting evenings imaginable. The crowd will be in utter madness. This show is not to be missed in any way.

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Source: walla

All news articles on 2021-06-26

Happy to be alive: Denmark with fantastic momentum despite losses - Walla! Euro 2020

Happy to be alive: Denmark has fantastic momentum despite losses

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