Danish media take aim and Prem star lashes out after Scotland loss | Football | Sport
Danish media have lambasted the national team’s coach in the wake of their 4-2 defeat to Scotland. A Premier League defender also blasted the loss, which cost his country automatic qualification for the World Cup.
In a thrilling qualifying tie on Tuesday, Denmark fell to Scotland at Hampden. The hosts opened the scoring through a brilliant Scott McTominay overhead kick before Rasmus Hojlund‘s penalty levelled things. Scotland went ahead again when Lawrence Shankland touched home from a corner but the lead lasted only four minutes before Patrick Dorgu squared things up. The Danes only needed a draw to qualify for next year’s World Cup. However they couldn’t hold on and after a stunner from Kieran Tierney and a 99th-minute halfway line clincher from Kenny McLean, Denmark will have to settle for a qualifying play-off. Media in the Scandinavian nation have not taken this defeat well.
“Terrible scenes”
In the wake of the loss, which followed a critical 2-2 draw against Belarus on Saturday, reporters from Denmark have not been kind about how their country performed.
Publication B.T. branded the defeat “terrible scenes” and took aim at manager Brian Riemer. They wrote: “We’re knocking you again, Riemer. The pressure is now enormous on you before the playoff games. This is a huge failure.”
One of Denmark’s largest newspapers, Ekstra Bladet, did not mince their words with their headline following the loss. It read: “Total Danish humiliation.” VG added: “It’s so insane that it can’t be described in words.”
Fulham star in profanity-laden rant
Fulham centre-back Joachim Andersen played every minute of the loss at Hampden and was booked after just 10 minutes. He gave a post-match interview to Danish outlet TV 2 Sport and appeared very frustrated.
“I’m incredibly sad,” said Andersen. “The results we’ve delivered in the last two games are laughable. I’m just disappointed. I’m disappointed. I think we played a good game.
“They score a freak goal. He’ll never score a goal like that again in his career. Of course it’s difficult when we get the red card,” he added.
“And then we make such stupid mistakes. That should never happen. I don’t know what to say. It’s just disappointing and f*****g ridiculous.”
Denmark coach singled out
B.T. levied some blame on head coach Riemer but outlet Bold went a step further and were incredibly critical of how the manager set up his squad on the night.
“It seemed to be a strategy for Denmark to play free on the wings and from there send balls into the box. The red-shirted team scooped one cross after another,” they wrote.
“The problem was that it didn’t work at all. If there’s one thing the Scottish defense can do, it’s dominate the air, and only 21 percent of the Danish crosses ended up with a team-mate. That strategy failed, Brian Riemer.”
