Tonight Denmark plays Australia at Loftus Road (don't ask why). A small crowd of Danish and Aussie ex-pats is expected. On display for Denmark will be the 21 yo Morten Nordstrand. Morten currently plays for Danish SuperLeague (no. 3 on the crap league names list) side FC Nordsjælland but comes from my hometown club Lyngby (like Claus Jensen and Dennis Rommedhal). Morten is the latest in a long line of fabulously talented players to emerge from Lyngby - the club with the best Youth programme in Denmark. This may seem a bold statement but the clubs U15s and U17s claims 2nd last season and the U19s won the Danish league. Last season Morten Nordstrand scored 32 in 33 matches for Lyngby in division 1 helping the side to 3rd place (just one place off promotion). Having moved up to the best league he's coped fantstically leading te top scorer list as well as the assists list. For those of you with nothing to do tonight - go to Loftus Road and watch a hero of mine tear the Aussies apart.
I have seriously thought of writing Aidy suggesting to link up with Lyngby to form some kind of partnership. Danish talent is so extremely cheap compared to English and culturally speaking we fit in. Speak the language - get the humor.
I still have no idea why they'd place a match between Denmark and Australia in London? I can see why Australia is a bit far off but why not Copenhagen then? Oh well...
QPR = Sheppard's Bush = Huge Aussie ex-pat community. With all the Aussie players based in England it's a good way of doing things.
Ah - cleared things up no end. I wonder what the attendance will be. Especially as the Aussies have 7 first teamers out.
Denmark's line-up tonight: Danmark ___________________Thomas Sørensen Lars Jacobsen___Daniel Agger__Michael Gravgaard___Niclas Jensen ___________________Christian Poulsen Thomas Kahlenberg____Daniel Jensen_____Martin Jørgensen ___________________Jon Dahl Tomasson ___________________Morten Nordstrand So my home town hero Nordstrand starts in his full international debut. Gets the nod after Bendtner called in sick.
Okay so Denmark are leading 1-0 but the Aussies are playing really well putting us under loads of pressure.
Quite a strong team with John Dahl Tomasson, Sorenson, Jensen, Agger et al. Has Gravesen retired from the national squad? Good luck to the Nordstrand lad on his full debut.
Yes - Thomas Gravesen has retired from the national squad. And to be honest - even if he is good as a single player the team is doing extremely well without him. Australia just had a goal cancelled for a dubious foul.
Jon Dahl Tomasson 2 and Daniel Jensen of Werder Bremen 1. Oh and my hero didn't start after all. Don't know the reason it was announced just before the start but he didn't. Am hoping to see him on in the 2nd half and Jon Dahl Tomasson will probably come off having delivered the goods already. Jesper Grønkjær has come on as a sub. No Morten Nordstrand so far... ARSE.
They just had a HUGE chance but hit the cross bar. They haven't had much luck so far but are playing some good football. Going by the first half we'll score soon.
Well it happened - on 85 minutes - just after the Aussies pulled one back thru an Emerton free kick, Nordstrand has come on. 5 minutes - poor lad.
How did the squad that faced Australia compare to the one that played US here in LA? Were they basically the same lads, or were they a different mix? I attended the game in LA, and it was quite fun. I was impressed by the Dane's coherent attack in the first half, and they were able to exploit some obvious weaknesses in the US defence to score.
Completely different. The squad that faced the US was basically a B side. A side comprised of players from the Danish league only and primarily lots of young talented players. But the US side was also not a full strength side was it?
Thanks Krisvad. You are correct. Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy) was there, and he's a top US team guy, but the keeper was 4th or 5th in line, and many guys got their first (and as a result probably ONLY) cap in the game. Two exceptions: Justin Mapp (Chicago Fire) who assisted on the goal to Josh Bornstein (Chivas USA). Bornstein got the call for US/Mex and did well again. Mapp didn't get the call for Mexico, which surprised me, but he will play again. Kenny Cooper will be there again someday, too. Heath Pearce plays in Denmark, doesn't he? I went to the game with a fellow who grew up playing against him up in Modesto, CA. He has a future with the Nats, too. He did well in the game.
Yup - Pearce plays for FC Nordsjælland - same team that "stole" my herop Morten Nordstrand from Lyngby ;o) Good player that Pearce.
Those basta'ds. Danny Califf (former Galaxy) plays in Denmark too. Why do you suppose Americans are ending up in Denmark? I imagine it to be a very nice place, no? But I suspect there is something more to it than that.
Found one more in Denmark..."Tally Hall will join his new club, Danish Superligaen side Esjberg FB". He is training with the USMNT U23 team and was drafted by the Galaxy, but is likely to get more and better playing time in Denmark. When is the season in Denmark? I know I could look it up in the internets, but it's much funner to chat about it here...
