| |
Elkjaer's hat trick against Uruguay was a highlight of the 1986 finals but Denmark failed to live up to its potential. David Cannon/Allsport |
Sepp Piontek's "Danish Dynamite" side had reached the semifinals at the European Championship in 1984, and its World Cup debut in Mexico in 1986 briefly promised even more.
Combining speed and strength with the predatory instinct of a natural goalscorer, Elkjaer formed an explosive forward partnership with Michael Laudrup. He scored the only goal as Denmark beat Scotland in its opening match, but it was against Uruguay that Elkjaer and his teammates would emerge as serious contenders.
Elkjaer ran riot against a tough and resilient Uruguayan side that had held West Germany to a 1-1 draw in its opening game. Elkjaer scored a hat trick and could have had even more in a 6-1 demolition of the two-time world champion.
Elkjaer failed to add to his tally in the 2-0 win over West Germany that followed but the result seemed to confirm that the Danes meant business.
What happened next was as much of a surprise as Denmark's win over Uruguay. The Scandinavians took an early lead against Spain in the second round but then simply seemed to run out of steam. The Spaniards, led by the deadly Emilio Butragueno, ran out 5-1 winners to crush the Danish dream.
