Copenhagen, Oct 12 (BUS): Denmark, by qualifying for the World Cup finals, showed that they continued their rise in the wake of Christian Eriksen’s heart attack, and the impending disaster did not derail their impressive development under coach Kasper Hjolmand.
Denmark booked their place in next year’s tournament in Qatar with a 1-0 victory over Austria on Tuesday that put them seven points clear of second-placed Scotland at the top of Group F, and their progress was remarkable considering what happened in June. Reuters reports.
When playmaker Eriksen fell on the grass at Parken Stadium in the opening match of Euro 2020 against Finland, it was clear to everyone on the field and the millions watching that the player’s life was in danger.
Fortunately, quick intervention by his teammates and medical staff ensured Eriksen’s survival, but to most observers, the idea that the team could thrive in his absence seemed absurd.
How wrong they were.
Hjolmand assembled his shaky team and somehow chose themselves to go into the knockout phase of Euro 2020 with their teeth flayed.
They then tore up the script and made their way to the semi-finals, where they narrowly lost to England before welcoming the champions on their return to Copenhagen.
The wave of emotion didn’t stop there, and they kept riding it through an amazing World Cup Qualifier campaign, filled with sparkling attacking football backed by an impenetrable defence.
In Eriksen’s absence, the world learned the names of Mikkel Damsgaard, the mercurial playmaker he replaced, and winger Andreas Skov Olsen because Hjolmand’s belief in young creative talent allowed them to flourish.
But the cornerstone was the rock at the heart of the Danish defense – Captain Simon Kjeer.
His handling of the incident that nearly killed his close friend Eriksen has won worldwide acclaim, and his performances for club and country earned him a place on the shortlist for the 2021 Ballon d’Or.
Cair’s booming penalty kick in Saturday’s win over Moldova – his only fifth goal in 116 appearances for the national team – seemed to draw a line amid a turbulent and emotional time for both himself and his team as they came close to qualifying for Qatar.
Having undergone an extraordinary experience with fire, Denmark will finish 2021 as Team of the Year and start looking forward to 2022, when they will once again measure themselves against the best in the world.