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1/8 Final - Denmark, Flashes of 'Dynamite Danes' |
Everyone said they could not match the great national sides of the past, but it turned out the "Dynamite Danes" of 1986 were just a preview of this year's edition.
In the Mexico World Cup in 1986, Denmark played some of the most exciting soccer of the competition in the first round, sweeping away Uruguay 6-1 and beating West Germany 2-0, only to blow up themselves by losing 5-1 to Spain in the second round.
This time, there was nothing in three limp first-round performances that could have foreshadowed the explosion of pace and intelligence that would sweep away the Nigerians 4-1 and secure the Danes the quarterfinals place that many felt should have been theirs 12 years ago.
They scored more goals in one match than in all their group games against Saudi Arabia, South Africa and France combined, and it could easily have been two or three more.
"It was a little bit the old famous Danish way of playing," said their Swedish coach Bo Johansson. "In 1986 they played a fantastic couple of games. This was a little bit of the same."
If they had been saving themselves, they kept it very quiet. Most observers said they did not even compare with the team that unexpectedly won the 1992 European championship.
"We didn't even try to play like this against France because we knew we could lose by one goal and still go through," Johansson said.
But the truth was that even Johansson looked surprised by the Danes' detonation -- even if he knew who had laid the charges.
"We had a playmaker tonight, Michael Laudrup, in fantastic form," said Johansson. "It's about players who suddenly find their way of playing."
As ever, Laudrup's timing was perfect.
Laudrup, the only survivor of the Danish team of 1986, the team of Soren Lerby, Preben Elkjaer and Jesper Olsen, retires after the World Cup. As he earned his 103rd cap, he perhaps wanted to see to some 12-year-old unfinished business completed.
Laudrup always seemed to have space on the left side of midfield to steer Denmark's attacks and to exude an aura of calm.
On a night of explosions, it was perhaps appropriate that Laudrup should have set up Ebbe Sand for Denmark's third goal just 22 seconds after he was brought on as substitute -- the fastest substitute scorer in World Cup finals history.
