by Aimee Logan (28/6/23)
Above: Denmark will be looking for plenty to celebrate when they return to the World Cup for the first time in 16 years this July. Photo: Maja Hitij.
Denmark known as ‘De rød-hvide’ (meaning ‘The Red and White) are set to play in their fifth World Cup this year – albeit their first since 2007.
They will be hoping to counteract their disappointing 2022 Euros performance and make it past the group stage in the competition. The team are ranked 13th in the world, and their most recent triumph was being runners-up in the 2017 UEFA Women’s Euros.
Squad
To be announced.
Head Coach
Lars Søndergaard is going into his final weeks in charge of Denmark as he will depart at the conclusion of the event. Søndergaard took over the team less than six months after they made the Euro 2017 Final. Despite missing out on qualification to the 2019 World Cup, he guided the nation to qualification to last year’s European Championships where they exited the tournament at the group stage after defeats to Germany (4-0) and Spain (1-0) with a 1-0 success against Finland sandwiched between. At the conclusion of the tournament, Andrée Jeglertz will take over in the role. Jaglertz has previously coached top Swedish club Linköpings FC.
How they qualified
Denmark qualified by coming top of Europe’s Group E competition. They won all eight of their fixtures, six of which resulted in a clean sheet for the side. Their most successful game in the qualifying rounds was their 8-0 win over Azerbaijan, which saw a hattrick from Stine Larsen. Another 8-0 win was against eventual group runners-up Bosnia and Herzegovina where Signe Brunn had scored four goals before the interval.
World Cup History
This is Denmark’s fifth qualification for the World Cup. Quarter-Finalists in the inaugural event in 1991, a feat they achieved once more four years later – only winning one group game in the process to do so both times – they have subsequently failed to get out of their group in 1999 and 2007.
Key Player
Pernille Harder was named captain of Denmark in March 2016. Since then, in September 2021, she broke Merete Pedersen’s 12 and a half year long previous record to become the national team’s all-time top scorer in September 2021. Since her senior Denmark debut at 16 years old, she displayed her talent: scoring a hattrick against Georgia in that fixture. Harder has been out for a period this season with a hamstring injury at Chelsea, but she did play in some of the closing fixtures of the season and has been called up to both preparation camps suggesting that she is fully fit to play this summer.
One to watch
Kathrine Møller Kühl of Arsenal is arguably Denmark’s most talented young player. Kühl made her international debut at only 17 years old. After joining Arsenal this season in January, she has already made 11 appearances for the club. I’m excited to see her talent shine this World Cup and in the future of her career as she still has many years ahead of her. She’s looking like a future captain in my opinion.
Success would be
A successful summer for the team would be making it through the group stages and ideally pass the round of 16 into the quarter-finals. They haven’t played on the world stage in a while but I do believe they have the talent to progress.
Prediction
A quarter-final spot after finishing as runners-up in their group to England. The young talent that the team has, along with those more experienced players, makes me believe they could be more successful than some people might think.
Group D Fixtures
22nd July – China, HBF Park, Perth.
28th July – England, Sydney Football Stadium.
1st August – Haiti, HBF Park, Perth.
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