Much like Ireland, the Danes are sick to death of Ireland. In just two years, the team have now met six times. Five of those ended in a draw. We know what happened in the other game. None of them have been easy on the eye.
There have been some ratty back and forths between the teams, the respective media corps, and the managements. It's fair to say we don't want to see Denmark at the Aviva Stadium again for quite a while.
Last night, they once again achieved qualification in Dublin. It was a very different story to 2017 though, with a far from fluid display from the visitors.
After a game in which their team performed poorly, the Danish media was a lot less focused on Ireland this time, and more on their own team, and their incredible achievement of 34 games unbeaten. Some though, are not happy with the pragmatic approach of the coach Åge Hareide, even despite consecutive qualifications. It appears Denmark are experiencing their very own Charlton Years.
The Danish Media Reaction to Ireland 1-1 Denmark
Politiken:
Ireland is a land of modern change, and a forest of construction cranes and noisy pneumatic drills along the waterfront testify that Dublin is a city of rapid development, but at one point everything is old: the football team plays as it has done over the past many years. Decades. With the heart and soul of the old homeland and maybe an extra Guinness.
And yet not.
Because with the recycling of Mick McCarthy as national coach, something has happened since the 5-1 defeat of two years ago in the playoff match for a place in the World Cup. Ireland have lost one of the last 12 matches but cannot score enough and so it ended with a hard fought 1-1 result as patience triumphed in pulsating Dublin. Denmark defended nicely against an ineffective home team, and so struck while the Irish in vain tried to crush our heroes.
"The 1-1 match in Dublin emphasizes that DBU did the right thing when Åge Hareide replaced Morten Olsen. The national team has become expert in result football in recent years, and it is so important in a sport where no artistic expression is given"
The Copenhagen Post:
"Danes get their draw in atrocious game of football."
In what must be one of the worst football games of 2019, Denmark managed to secure passage to Euro 2020 on the back of a 1-1 draw in Dublin.
Quite the opposite of the famous 5-1 game of two years ago, it certainly was an ugly affair. The Danes probably won’t mind, though.
"The Danes hadn’t managed a shot on goal by the time Martin Braithwaite’s toe poke put them ahead after 73 minutes. It was practically his first touch of the ball … and he was in the starting lineup."
BT:
The Danish national team has not made new friends during the European qualifying, which thankfully ended happily with a single point after a nail-biting finish in Ireland."
They did exactly what they needed to. Not anymore. No less.
I want to see Åge Hareide throwing a waistband, harnesses and everything else that holds his pants up. Neither the national coach nor the national team has anything to lose, so where could it be liberating to see how much football is really in this team and this coach.
Sounds familiar.
Ekstra Bladet:
A game of disappointment. In fact, a terribly disappointing level, the Danes set for the draw. Villain and mess! No one created on target chances and a sea of mistakes. Until the Irish bet - and the Danes got a seat, it sounds.
We can only imagine what would have awaited the Danish players if they hadn't qualified.
SEE ALSO: Irish Player Ratings As We Fall Agonisingly Short Of Euros Qualification
