World Cup Team History: Denmark.

April 8th, 2010 | by: chris | View Comments

The Netherlands, the Japan and the Cameroon (it’s only fair) best beware: the Danish have the awfully impressive record of making it through to the knockouts every single time they’ve made the World Cup.

Granted they’ve only made three, but that’s still impressive for a country…well, a country which has only made three World Cups. No significant dents yet – still waiting for a World Cup trophy to match that shiny thing they won in 1992, obviously – and just creeping beyond the quarters this year would represent their best run yet.

World Cup 1986, Mexico

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times…

Denmark’s run in the 1986 World Cup was something special. Until it wasn’t. More specifically, they commenced on their quest to become group stage specialists in emphatic fashion, not only winning the group, but laying waste to the field: 9 goals scored, one goal conceded and top of the group.

They would dispatch of Scotland 1-0 in the opening game, through a goal from Elkjaer Larsen, and that’s where the fun began. The second game ushered in Uruguay: two-time champions, but not quite up to peaked standards of the past. Larsen would score three, but it was Michael Laudrup, Denmark’s greatest player, who would steal the show:

That Laudrup wasn’t bad.

This would setup the meeting with West Germany, with the winner drawing Spain and the loser Morocco. In retrospect, they might’ve been better served throwing the game – for football purposes, not dodgy betting purposes – but they didn’t, and because of it won 2-0 against the eventual finalists, with some wonderfully controversial flying from Frank Arnesen (1.30).

This meant Spain, which we now know meant impending doom. Since this is Denmark’s history and they’d probably like to erase this one from history, we’ll keep it short and sour: 5-1 Spain, in which Emilio Butragueno hit four.

World Cup 1998, France

By the time Denmark got around to the World Cup again, 12 years had passed. It wasn’t all bad, though – in the meantime they’d stoked the fires with an unexpected Euros win in 1992. This time they Peter Schmeichel and Brian Laudrup in tow – both had debuted in 1987 – along with Michael, entering his international swansong.

The groups wouldn’t be quite as scintillating compared to their first World Cup trip, you could even say downright uninspiring – a 1-0 win over Saudi Arabia, a 1-1 draw with South Africa and a 2-1 loss to hosts and eventual champs France – but the end product was a slight bit better.

They finished second in the group, earning another trek into the knockout rounds, this time against slightly less formidable opposition than Spain – Nigeria. It would go very, very well for the Danish by the time this one was over. The Laudrup family picture was brilliant, Ebbe Sand – one of the best names in World Cup history – scored one minute after entering the pitch, and in the 76th, Denmark had an impenetrable 4-0 lead. Nigeria would get one back, but it was all for naught – to the quarterfinals they would go…

…where they would meet Brazil, which rarely fares well for anyone. It certainly didn’t fare well if you remember the 1998 World Cup, which had a final including Brazil. Thus deductive reasoning would indicate…

But this was not Spain 2.0. Unlike their exit in 1986, they could leave this one knowing they’d made a hell of a game of it. Denmark, for the second time in as many games, scored within the opening three minutes of the game, a then young and wide-eyed Martin Jorgensen (now not nearly as young) set up by the aging legend, shellshocking the defending champs. Eight minutes later it would be even; twenty-four minutes later, Brazil would have a 2-1 lead.

After the half, two legends would end up trading goals: Laudrup in the 50th, with a celebration of pure self-satisfaction, and then Rivaldo got his second just ten minutes later. All she wrote for the game, and all she wrote for the tournament. A fantastic game, just not the storybook ending.

(Love the shot at the 0:30 mark: one great on his way out shaking hands with one great on his way up.)

World Cup 2002, Japan/South Korea

For the first time in their history, it was back-to-back World Cups for Denmark – a difficult feat when it was only their third, but something nonetheless. In fact this would be their fourth major tournament in a row – fourth which would eventually become a fifth – a damn fine achievement with such a humble background.

At this point, the legends were gone, as Schmeichel and both Laudrup brothers had retired. This Danish team brought forth the scorching pace of Dennis Rommedahl – still fast – and Jesper Gronkjaer – now less fast, more injured – with the Milan-bound Jon Dahl Tomasson.

Unfortunately for them, it would turn out to be more 1986 and less 1998 – you could even say it damn near mirrored 1986 (Uruguay, the final group game upset, the forgettable exit). They were drawn into the group with defending champions France for the second straight time, along with Senegal and, once again, Uruguay. This group would be remembered more for France’s goal-less failures, but it was a mighty fine showing for the Danes.

Against Uruguay, Tomasson opened up the scoring – and his rather good scoring record – with a simple goal off a beautiful team movement. Dario Rogriguez would level it up with a goal – perhaps better described as The Goal – before Tomasson, who Uruguay has once again not bothered marking (bad idea, that) got the win with a simple header from unmissable range.

In the second game, they got Senegal in what was supposed to be a rather pedestrian affair. It wasn’t, what with Senegal pulling off one of the greatest upsets in tournament history in their opening game against France. Denmark’s lone goal was pedestrian, if that’s anything; Senegal’s wasn’t. For some reason, Denmark were just a magnet for phenomenal goals in 2002. Luckily, though, they still managed a draw.

This meant a meeting with France, who needed a win to advance. Denmark would score two goals and win on the back of some colossally bad defending via Rommedahl and, you guessed it, Tommason, who ended the groups with 4 in 3 and well deserving of that Milan move.

They’d win the group, just as in 1986, and set up a meeting with a bigger football name which they’d love to forget, just as in 1986. England beat them soundly (3-0) and Denmark has politely requested we simply segue into a YouTuber of all Denmark’s World Cup goals. We’ll happily oblige.

- For more on the Denmark read Cerberus’ Danish blog.
- Find more World Cup team histories here.