Match #37 - Australia v. Denmark

Crap!

 

I think they were way too overhyped. Had a good run in the Euros playing against non-powerhouse nations mostly at home after losing their first two matches. They also played a good game vs England, and well you know how the press works.... They did well in qualifying and had some decent nations league results so wasn't all just hype, but I always had them going out to Argentina in the round of 16 if they made it there. Mind you, the team that I potentially thought would make it through was Tunisia given their fan base. This looked like the worse Australian team in decades on paper and I doubted they'd even qualify for the world cup, let alone making the knockout stages, but there you go. Well don Socceroos!

 

Because, while the Danish reporters could feel that something seemed wrong, the Danish coach and players were saying that they did not like this but brushed it off by saying they would be ready and focused on the games and nothing else, but everyone could see from the very first game that they lacked both focus and the usual energy and motivation, though neither the coach nor players are using this as an excuse. They simply have no excuse of why how they all of a sudden lost the plot.

Especially Højbjerg, who usually is the most reliable and well playing force on this team, was nowhere near his usual self, Eriksen was also quite a disappointment, but no reason to especially point fingers at him, considering that Denmark did great at the Euros and WC qualifiers without him, so his performance should not be the decisive factor. On the positive side the defense did fairly well even with Captain Simon Kjær being out with a minor injury, but Christensen being the best and most motivated Danish player at this WC, both in central defense and scoring the goal vs. France.

 

The Danish soccer media consider this to be the biggest fiasco and worst performance ever by Denmark at a WC group stage, or any group stage for that matter.

Coach Hjulmand is taking the full blame for this fiasco, but everyone can see that motivating players who have lost focus and do not have their heart in this, is a mission impossible, so the Danish FA still have faith in him, and he is not going to be fired over this, because of the whole circumstances and "circus" surrounding this WC, that the FA itself is being blamed for not being able to shield their players from.

Though coach Hjulmand has received some criticism in the media for not fielding or leaving out some players in favor of more experienced NT players who only recently have returned from injury and not being match fit, like picking Damsgaard (who did so well at the Euros, but is not really match fit), or not selecting a midfielder like Philip Billing who is in great shape and personally has been doing great in the English PL for Bournemouth this season, being among the 6 players nominated for Premier League Player of the Month in September (along with Højbjerg btw) and likewise selected for the Premier League Team of the Week in September.

 

.. and now also Germany.