Impetus’ Martin Townley and Morganna King teamed up at the Cardiff City Stadium last night to bring you the best coverage of Cymru’s UEFA Nations League game with Denmark. Martin reports from the press box, with Morganna providing coverage of the post-match media conference (27/9/23).]
Above: Cymru’s Jess Fishlock celebrates her goal last night. Photo: FAW.
Cymru 1-5 Denmark
by Martin Townley at the Cardiff City Stadium for Impetus
Denmark top Group Three of the UEFA Nations League A after a Pernille Harder hat-trick helped them to a 5-1 win over Cymru last night.
It’s a second win in the Nations League for Denmark after their 2-0 win over Germany. For Cymru it’s a second defeat and the biggest loss since Gemma Grainger became manager in 2021.
Denmark made a fast start at Cardiff City Stadium taking a 2-0 lead with 12 minutes. Pernille Harder converted a penalty after six minutes then added her second after 11 minutes. The visitors controlled the half and Cymru struggled to trouble Lene Christensen.
Cymru started better in the second and Jess Fishlock pulled a goal back in the 50th minute. However, it would take Denmark just nine minutes to restore their two-goal thanks to Frederikke Thogersen. The Danes added a fourth in 87th minute from Sanne Troelsgaard as the Welsh defence became further stretched as they chased the game. Then in added time, Harder added a fifth to complete her hat trick.
The match got off to a bad start for Cymru as they found themselves behind just six minutes in. Rhiannon Roberts kicked a Danish player as she attempted to clear a Sofie Svava corner with a penalty awarded as a result. Denmark captain Pernille Harder dispatched the penalty to the bottom right corner sending Cymru keeper Olivia Clark the wrong way.
Harder then put the Danes two up with a simple tap in from the six-yard box. Good work from Josefine Hasbo to send the ball to Frederikke Thogersen who sent a low ball in across the goal for Harder to score.
Denmark continued to pressure Cymru as they looked for a third goal. Katherine Kuhl making a driving forward run to the edge of the Welsh box. She hit a shot but put it over the bar.
Harder should have had a hat trick in the 38th minute when she seemingly had the goal wide open. An exquisite back heel from Amalie Vangsgaard to send the ball over Hayley Ladd allowed the Danes to send the ball into the box. Roberts was unable to clear, and the ball fell to Harder who steered the ball wide of the post.
Gemma Grainger’s team wasn’t giving up this game and did try to mount attacks of their own. Fishlock with a flick out to Rachel Rowe, who then played the ball into the box for Fishlock. Despite her attempt to slide to the ball, Fishlock was unable to reach it and Lene Christensen was able to collect.
Just before halftime the best chance for Cymru fell to Ceri Holland. The Welsh team manging to push Denmark back into their own box the ball came to Holland just right of the goal. She hit a snapshot but could only find the side netting.
Cymru made a bright start to the second half and showed more attacking intent. Gemma Grainger made a change at halftime bringing Kayleigh Green in for Rachel Rowe.
They were rewarded in the 50th minute as Fishlock pulled a goal back. Good link-up play from Kayleigh Green and Carrie Jones found Fishlock free on the edge of the back. The OL Reign star firing into the top corner.
Just as Cymru thought they were back in the game, Denmark scored a third. Sofie Svava with an inch-perfect cross to find Thogersen arriving at the back post for an easy tap-in.
Ceri Holland had a chance for Cymru shortly after from the edge of the box, but she hit her effort straight at Christensen. Cymru kept trying to find a way back into the game and Ffion Morgan put a fine cross into the box looking for Kayleigh Green. Green was unable to reach the ball.
Denmark showed their quality again as they got a fourth goal in the 86th minute. Nicoline Sorensen’s effort was saved by Clark by Sanne Troelsgaard quickest to the ball to head in the rebound.
Into added time Harder finished off her hat trick. Signe Bruun saw her shot hit the bar and the ball fell to Harder who had an easy finish from close range.
Grainger: Short-term pain will lead to long-term gain as Cymru face off against Europe’s best
by Morganna King at the Cardiff City Stadium for Impetus.
“Goals change games,” Cymru women’s manager Gemma Grainger stated after she and captain Sophie Ingle spoke to the media after they went down to a 5-1 defeat to Denmark in the second game of their Women’s Nations League campaign.
“There’s always pressure at international football, at any football, you know you want to get points on the board. It’s tough losing your first two games but I think we’ll learn more from it going into the next two and hopefully, we minimise the mistakes from tonight going into the next camp.” Ingle disclosed. This comes after losing 1-0 to Iceland in Reykjavik for the first match of their Women’s Nations League campaign and losing again 5-1 against Denmark in their second match.
Denmark captain and Bayern Munich forward Pernille Harder scored a hattrick in Cymru’s 5-1 defeat. Ingle, who knows the attacker well from being a Chelsea team-mate of her until the end of last season reflected about Harder: “She’s a very clever player she plays off your back shoulder. You think you’ve got her one minute and then she moves and she just glides past you”.
Grainger was adamant that the match against Denmark, who are currently ranked 12th in the world, is a learning curve to perform better at international level.
“We’ve got to find lessons from these games. We need to learn quickly from them so that when we play them in October and we play Germany in October, we set up in a way that helps us to be competitive”.
There’s no doubt that Cymru will improve ahead of their upcoming matches while they attempt to qualify for Euro 2025 in Switzerland. One of Cymru’s weaknesses was their ability to make the most of their chances on goal.
“When we qualify for European Championships we’re going to play against these teams and these teams are clinical, they will take the majority of their chances and that’s something we need to take note of” Grainger stated. “The reality is, the level that we want to play at, our players need to feel that level consistently and that’s what this Nations League is going to give us”.
Next up Cymru are challenged with two away games in the month of October to continue their Women’s Nations League campaign; one against Germany and another against Denmark.
Teams: CYMRU (4-1-4-1): Clark, Woodham, Evans, Ingle, Roberts, Holland, James, Fishlock (Green 74′), Rowe (Green 46′), Ladd, Jones (Morgan 74′).
Scorer: Fishlock 50′.
DENMARK (4-4-2): Christensen, Ballisager, Boye Sorensen, Hasbo, Vangsgaard (Bruun 66′), Harder (Gejl 90+1′), Veje (Sevecke 90+1′), Moller Kuhl, Pedersen (Troelsgaard 66′), Thogersen, Svava (Sorensen 83′).
Scorers: Harder 6′ (pen), 11′, 90+1′. Thogersen 60′, Troelsgaard 87′.
Attendance: 8,607.
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