Denmark 2010 World Cup Preview: A Quality Team but No Superstars

2010 WORLD CUP PREVIEW:  DENMARK

Making their fourth appearance at the World Cup finals and their first since ‘02, Denmark brings a solid squad to the field of 32 in South Africa. 

The Danes punched their ticket after a nearly flawless run through a difficult World Cup qualifying group which featured Portugal, Sweden, Hungary, Albania, and Malta.  Their only blemish came in the form of a 1-0 defeat to the Hungarians in their final contest when qualification had already been clinched.

SCHEDULE

Netherlands:  June 14

Cameroon:  June 19

Japan:  June 24

The World Cup draw landed Denmark in a group with a lot of balance:  the 4^th ranked Netherlands, 19^th ranked Cameroon, and 45^th ranked Japan.  Subsequently, Denmark is currently slotted at #35 in the latest FIFA World Rankings.

The Danes have the privilege of facing a highly-skilled Dutch team their first match of the tournament in the nation’s capital of Johannesburg.  This will surely be their toughest test during group play and may set the tone of what impact they will bring to this year’s competition.

Their second match has them slated against the most successful African nation of all-time, The Indomitable Lions of Cameroon.  Led by one of the best strikers in the world and team captain, Samuel Eto’o, the Cameroonian’s are a fast, tough, and extremely athletic opponent. 

There is never an easy contest when participating in the World Cup, but Denmark’s final group game against Japan should certainly feel a bit smoother after facing two quality opponents to begin the tournament.  This will be the matchup they are counting on for a W.

One advantage the Danes should be thankful for is their limited amount of travel they face.  Of the four teams in this group, Denmark is the beneficiary of the best travel schedule, playing their three games in the neighboring cities of Johannesburg, Tshwane/Pretoria, and Rustenburg.

KEY PLAYERS

Denmark is one of the few European sides that do not have many superstar names.  However, they do have a handful of quality players that will be key to their tournament hopes.

Up front, they have the young and talented Nicklas Bendtner.  At 6’4, his size and strength alone make him an extremely dangerous striker for opposing teams.  He boasts unlimited potential and scored three goals for the national team during World Cup qualifying.   It’s time for the Arsenal forward to take his game to the next level on a world stage. 

The middle of the field is controlled by veteran Christian Poulsen.  He has been a consistent performer for the Danish since the ’02 World Cup in South Korea-Japan.  The pace of the game will flow through him.

Daniel Agger, Per Kroldrup, and Simon Kjaer anchor a very formidable back line.  They gave up only five goals in ten World Cup qualifying matches.  Goals should be a rare commodity against this superb group of defenders. 

Goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen may be the most important player for Denmark.  He is loaded with experience and has been Denmark’s starting goalie for the majority of the past decade.  However a recent elbow injury suffered during league play for Stoke City in the EPL has his World Cup status very much up in the air.  It is believed he will be ready for the first match.  If not, there is a very inexperienced group of keepers that sit behind him.

STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES

Denmark’s biggest strength comes from someone who does not even touch the ball, their coach:  Morten Olsen.  Having coached the national team for almost a decade, he is a very experienced manager.  He is well-respected by his players and brings unity to a team that has not always had a surplus of talent.  World-class coaching can go a long way in the World Cup.

Clearly, Denmark has the defensive ability to keep every game low-scoring, giving them a chance to win.  With solid play, this unit can take them deep into the tournament.

The main weakness will be goal scoring.  With offensive-minded teams such as Cameroon and the Netherlands, Denmark may be forced to put up a lot of goals, and I am not sure their team has that capability.

IT WOULD BE A GREAT WORLD CUP IF…

Denmark advances out of their tough group and manages a run all the way to the final eight of the tournament. 

A very good scenario would have Nicklas Bendtner blossoming into the young superstar many have him touted to be.  He scores 3-4 goals in group-play advancing the Danes to the round of 16. 

IT WOULD BE A DISASTER IF…

Thomas Sorensen elbow does not improve and they are forced to play a young, inexperienced net minder.  Results are losses in their first two matches, and also failing to get full points against the Japanese, causing even their cheerful and upbeat fans, the Roligans, to boo them out of the tournament. 

MY PREDICTION

As much as I would love to see the Danes advance from group play, I don’t see it happening this World Cup.  They definitely have the coaching and overall quality to advance, but I like the Netherlands and Cameroon to represent Group E in the next round, with a good chance of one advancing all the way to the semis.