Denmark 1-Norway 1: Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand-Grenades

March 26th, 2011 | by: Cerberus | Comments Off

This game was a heart-breaker in the classic sense. Mainly because Denmark was playing some serious injury ward team composition, including fielding an injured Bendtner in the striker role and yet…

For the most part of the game, it all seemed to be working. Denmark was defending well against onslaughts and slowly but surely were building up to play-styles where they were dominating the possession. For most of the game, they looked most poised to score and indeed in the 27th minute, Dennis Rommedahl scored an absolutely beautiful curling ball over Jarstein's head.

In fact, go here and check it out, I’ll wait. Mmm, beautiful wasn’t it?

From then on, it looked like it was merely a matter of time before we got our second goal, especially as Rommedahl came agonizingly close with another long-range strike later in the game.

But sadly, that wasn’t to be. Norway has not lost in 20 years at home under their current manager and thanks to a deft run by Erik Huseklepp and possibly a growing feeling of inevitability and complacency among the Danish midfield and defense, Norway managed to secure one back in the 81st minute.

This one hurts a little. Both because we had it and then dropped it in the last minute and the fact that we really needed this win. We’re now tied on points with Portugal and 3 behind Norway. We will have to not only try to win out the rest of our games, but hope for a little help in order to secure qualification.

So all that said, let’s dive more into it.

Here was the line-up for the game:

Sørensen
Jacobsen, Jørgensen, Agger, Silberbauer
C. Poulsen, Eriksen, Kvist
Rommedahl, Bendtner, Krohn-Dehli

J. Poulsen in for C. Poulsen in 69th minute, Enevoldsen in for Krohn-Dehli in 82nd minute, Wass in for Rommedahl for a walk-on at the last minute

First up, that´s a number of interesting risks made. Putting a central midfielder on left back (something that worked until Huseklepp rounded him) and playing an injured Bendtner (I know I said we didn’t really have anyone to back him, but wow) definitely stand out the most.

Actually, I’m going to fixate on the decision to play Bendtner after his training injury a couple of days ago as the decision most likely to turn Wenger into a human beet.

Likely face of Arsene Wenger when he saw the line-up for this game

I know we didn’t have anyone else, but really, an injured Bendtner was better than our backup?

The sad thing was that was absolutely true. Bendtner played the entire game scared to risk any play that might draw a tackle, shortening up runs, passing instead of shooting and just generally playing like he was desperately trying not to get anymore hurt.

But well, he still was an impressive worker, setting up a number of good passes and making some key interceptions to set up counterattacks. And yes, there is something hideously wrong with the fact that a striker scared to go forward was preferable to our other options. We simply lack any real depth in the striker role and that’s a problem especially when our star striker is more injury-prone than Samuel Jackson’s character in Unbreakable.

In happier news, I was stating in the preview that we needed Dennis Rommedahl to rediscover the fountain of youth for this game. Boy, did he ever. This was just like the World Cup. He was making dangerous runs, delivering amazing crosses, and making strong long-range shots including the one linked to above. This was the Rommedahl we remember and love. I know it can’t be easy having to delve into exotic jungle locations whenever the team needs you, but we might need to fund some expeditions for the second-half of qualifying.

In all seriousness though, this is a great demonstration of the player that Rommedahl was and still very much is for us.

Overall, we’re not out of it, but we really needed the win pretty badly and we’re not going to be in the best of positions for the remainder of Qualifiers thanks to the missed chance in this game.

And the temptation is strong to blame Silberbauer or to blame the substitution for Jakob Poulsen for captain Christian Poulsen thus allowing too much space in the midfield to allow a nice no-pressure pass onto Huseklepp’s run.

And well, especially on the latter, I was definitely thinking it was a bad idea at the time and a sign of complacency on the part of Morten Olsen.

But overall, the team played great, all injuries considered and were mostly unlucky to have dropped points today.

Besides…

We all know we’ll get the bastards back at Parken!