Dolberg and Danes start to consider in Euro 2020 future

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Might a event that began so awfully finish in unlikely glory for Denmark?

That romantic notion is starting to appear like a real risk after Kasper Hjulmand’s staff tore aside Wales 4-0 on Saturday to achieve the quarter-finals of Euro 2020.

Soccer couldn’t have appeared much less essential when Christian Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest throughout their opening sport in opposition to Finland in Copenhagen, which they went on to lose 1-0.

However the Danes have been carried by a wave of emotion from that second and, after scraping out of the group stage, in Amsterdam –- the place Eriksen made his title with Ajax -– they recorded one of many largest ever victories within the European Championship knockout rounds.

Nearly everybody within the 14,645 crowd allowed contained in the Johan Cruyff Enviornment was Danish, whereas again residence followers celebrated on the streets in Copenhagen.

“Now we will go all the best way” was the headline in tabloid Ekstra Bladet, trying ahead to a quarter-final in Baku subsequent weekend.

“One factor at a time,” mentioned Hjulmand. “There isn’t any must suppose to this point forward however we consider in one another.”

Parallels may be drawn with 1992, when the Danes benefited from a ban on war-torn Yugoslavia to qualify for the Euro in Sweden and went on to win the trophy.

Saturday’s victory in opposition to Wales got here on the anniversary of that triumph and this time, with out Eriksen, it’s clear Denmark nonetheless have an impressive staff pushed by the will to win for his or her stricken buddy.

“We’ve been getting ready for this for a very long time. We believed in one another, we had been optimistic, then Christian collapsed and that’s the place every little thing modified, for me at the least,” Hjulmand mentioned.

“I felt that we had been put all of a sudden in a very completely different state of affairs. I’m very grateful for all of the assist everybody has proven. We wanted the love and assist and that’s what gave us wings.”

The standard is there: each member of their beginning line-up in opposition to Wales performs in one among Europe’s huge 5 leagues.

In opposition to Wales the sense destiny was on their aspect was epitomised by the match-winning function performed by Kasper Dolberg.

The striker didn’t begin a gaggle sport however was introduced into the aspect with Yussuf Poulsen injured and scored the primary two objectives on the bottom the place -– like Eriksen -– he made his title with Ajax.

Joakim Maehle, the Atalanta full-back, and Barcelona’s Martin Braithwaite accomplished the rout.

– Kasper catches a break –

Dolberg, whose mother and father had been handball gamers, emerged in Amsterdam when he scored 16 league objectives for Ajax as a young person in 2016/17, additionally that includes on their run to that season’s Europa League remaining.

A transfer to French membership Good for a reported 20 million euros ($23.9m) adopted in 2019, however weeks later his watch –- price many 1000’s of euros -– was stolen from the altering room by a team-mate.

Dolberg additionally got here into the delayed Euro after a season wherein he simply could not catch a break.

Final September, whereas on worldwide responsibility, the 23-year-old’s home was burgled and his automobile, a Porsche, was stolen.

A succession of harm issues adopted. He contracted Covid-19 twice. Then, in February, he needed to endure surgical procedure for appendicitis.

He returned to complete the season however didn’t come into the Euro in nice type. On Saturday he really rediscovered his scoring contact.

“I believe we now have a star striker in Kasper. I watched him when he was a child and he had that season when he scored 16 objectives for Ajax,” mentioned Hjulmand.

“He did have some problematic phases with accidents and catching Covid however he bounced again,” added the coach, who himself wouldn’t have been in cost had the Euro not been postponed for a yr.

“The boys are warriors and I like them. It’s a lovely sport however I do know everyone seems to be combating and being within the quarter-finals now could be superb.”

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