From desolation and despair to unbridled joy and euphoria, Copenhagen’s Parken Stadium has witnessed the full range of emotions during Euro 2020.
Just nine days on from Christian Eriksen’s horrifying cardiac arrest during Denmark’s opening match against Finland came a pulsating 4-1 victory against Russia that secured the team a spot in the last 16 against Wales.
It was an occasion defined by spectacular moments: there was Andreas Christensen’s screamer; Yussuf Poulsen’s beer-soaked celebration; an outpouring of relief as results filtered through from elsewhere. And there was Mikkel Damsgaard’s stunner before half-time, the goal that got the whole party started.
Receiving a firm pass from Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg on the edge of the box, Damsgaard controlled the ball, shifted it to the right and then, with minimal backlift, whipped a shot into the top corner. Blink and you would have missed it. It was a picture-perfect imitation of Eriksen, the player that Damsgaard, 20, counts as an idol and has filled in for in Denmark’s attack over the past two matches.
“He tried what he did against Russia a lot when he was younger but he couldn’t get the power into the shot,” Kasper Kurland, a youth coach at Damsgaard’s former club FC Nordsjaelland tells i. “He was so small there were some doubts over physically whether he could play but we could all see that from a technical point of view, his decision making and footballing intelligence, that he was on a different level.
“The way he scored the goal – the first touch, the second touch and then the finish – it was so quick. Technically it was beautiful. It was a big moment for the nation after everything that happened with Eriksen.”
Kurland admits that there is a “gigantic buzz” around Damsgaard in Denmark, not just because of the goal but the manner in which he has acquitted himself in trying circumstances.
While few would have been aware of the diminutive dribbler’s talents before the tournament, Kurland has known about his potential for some time. “I was his coach for two years until under-17. In his second year as a U17 player, he was amazing. Unbelievable.”
On what made him stand out, Kurland adds: “His touch, dribbles, even though he was not quick he came out of situations always with the ball, vision with his passes, his level of orientation and space awareness. When you’d expect the ball to go one way, he would see something else in another direction.”
Despite his age, Damsgaard has already made just under 150 career appearances, the bulk of which came in Nordsjaelland’s red colours. At 17, he established himself as a first-team player, a common occurrence at a club that prides itself on providing opportunities – both in football and in education – to the young boys and girls that pass through its academies in Denmark and Ghana. A third school in Egypt is in the works.
Nordsjaelland’s model also relies on selling on homegrown talent. “Holding onto a player who has the potential to push on to the next level is against all of our values,” insists Kurland. Damsgaard is one who has flown the nest, joining Serie A’s Sampdoria last summer. AC Milan, Barcelona and Tottenham are rumoured to be monitoring him closely.
“Remember, he’s only 20,” Kurland says. “The best place for him is a place that believes in him. He has proven he can play in the Italian league. You could say that [he would struggle] with the physicality and tempo of the Premier League but he would adapt. He could naturally play in the Spanish league because of the high technical level that is there but I can definitely see him playing in England.”
Fuelled by an unshakeable spirit, reinforced after what happened to their friend and teammate Eriksen, Denmark are gathering momentum ahead of Saturday’s showdown with Wales in Amsterdam. After finding itself in the midst of a nightmare, Denmark is now daring to dream.
“The work of the staff and the coach Kasper Hjulmand, who is a former coach of our club has been amazing,” Kurland says. “The whole nation is behind the team. I think we can really be in for something big with this group.”
More from i on Euro 2020
- England aren’t ‘rubbish’ and Southgate isn’t a ‘fraud’ – we just need a bit of patience
- What the Premier League could learn from Euro 2020’s controversy-free referees
- The football nomad who became a hero for his role in saving Eriksen’s life
- How Ronaldo’s Coca-Cola stunt could change the face of football sponsorship
- How to watch every Euro 2020 match on TV and online in the UK
from Football – inews.co.uk https://ift.tt/3dgnYmW
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