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Denmark
Denmark has no real World Cup tradition to speak of. It qualified
for the first time in 1986 and made another appearance
in '98.
Nonetheless, it already has a strong
reputation for being an entertaining team with players
like Elkjaer Larsen and the Laudrup brothers, who
dazzled the world with their skills. These stars may be
gone, but the new crop of internationals will not let
the country down.
As the countdown to the 2002 World Cup in South Korea and Japan continues, CNNSI.com's Pedro Pinto will take a close look at all of the nations that will contend for football's greatest prize.
Pinto is an anchor on World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International.
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Denmark normally operates on a 3-5-2
system with a strong back line, a hardworking midfield
and a poisonous attack. There is plenty of talent at
the back: AC Milan players Martin Laursen and Thomas
Helveg are used to facing the world's top strikers
week in and week out. Manager Morten Olsen likes to
use two defensive midfielders to cover the holes that
can be left in a three-man defense. Thomas Gravesen is a
true "hard man," and veteran Jan Heintze can still run
all day. As if they weren't good enough, there is Martin
Jorgensen, who has turned into a star for Udinese. But
the true talent of this side is up front. Ebbe Sand is
deadly, and Jon Dahl Tomasson scores goals with ease.
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Ebbe Sand. People in Asia may be used to
monsoon rains, but they might not be ready for a
Danish Sandstorm. This striker has topped the
goalscoring charts in Germany and tallied nine goals in
qualifying. He is fast, skilfull and has a permanent
eye for goal. Denmark will not be short on goals if
it has the right service for this man.
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Elasticity. The Danish team is hardworking
and disciplined but can be very predictable in its
buildup. Many times players stick too much to their
positions and therefore do not stretch out their
opponents as much as they could. The strict tactical
shape often restricts movement on the pitch.
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Creativity. Is there enough creativity on this team? Gravesen, Michaelsen and Heintze will win plenty of balls, but who is going to turn that possession into goals? It has to be Jorgensen. He has to be the link man providing Sand and Tomasson with scoring chances. Still, Jorgensen alone could struggle to find space. This could be a problem for the Danes.
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Denmark finished first in UEFA's
Group 3 with 22 points from 10 matches. They won six,
drew four and lost zero, scoring 22 goals and
conceding only six. |
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The Danish national team has only
made the finals twice: in 1986 and '98. They were knocked
out in the second round in Mexico and then reached the
quarterfinals in France, losing 3-2 to Brazil.
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Denmark has what it takes to reach the
second phase and it could squeak into the
quarterfinals. Why? The strike force is lethal and
it has midfielders who will do all the dirty work.
They nearly stunned Brazil in '98 and they could
surprise a few more people this time around.
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