WC 1985 Qualifs Denmark URSS

5 Juin 1985

Idraetsparken Copenhagen

50mnts resume

WC.1986.Dan.Russ.twb22.mp4

428.3 Mo

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Denmark: Qvist, Busk, Nielsen, Morten Olsen, Arnesen (Henrik Andersen 78), Berggreen, Bertelsen, Laudrup, Lerby, Jesper Olsen (Frimann 46), Elkjaer.

USSR: Dasaev, Sulakvelidze, Pozdnyakov, Demyanenko, Baltacha, Aleinikov, Gotsmanov, Litovchenko (Zygmantovich 23), Gavrilov, Protasov, Belanov (Kondratyev 70).

 

That USSR game was part of a topsy-turvy 1985 that summed up the Danes' thrilling unpredictability. They played eight games that year; in four they failed to score, in the other four they scored 17. Five of those came in their penultimate World Cup qualifier, away at Norway. Denmark went in at half-time 1-0 down and in serious danger of missing out on the World Cup. They hammered five unanswered goals in the second half and then eviscerated Ireland 4-1 at Lansdowne Road in their final qualifier. Perhaps it was simply a case of them finally getting their just deserts: in two scoreless qualifiers against Switzerland, they hit the post five times and missed a penalty.

Yet that is not the only year in which they had peculiar results. In 1984 they lost 6-0 and 4-0 in friendlies against Holland and East Germany before excelling at Euro 84. They could be erratic within games, too: in their Mexico 86 match against Scotland, Denmark were kept at arms' length for 75 minutes of the match. But in the other 15, leading up to Elkjær's only goal, their rhythmic, incessant pressure made you feel that a goal was not so much in the post as sent by recorded delivery. This was a team who could win 6-1 one week and lose 5-1 the next – as they did at Mexico 86, when they became the only team since the 50s to score and concede at least five at the same World Cup.

The omens were not on the side of Denmark when they welcomed USSR to the Idraetsparken national stadium one June afternoon in 1985. They had lost each of their eight previous meetings with the Soviets - conceding 30 goals along the way - but those statistics were not going to scare a side intent on writing a new chapter in their history.

Twelve months earlier, Sepp Piontek's team had reached the semi-finals in their maiden appearance at the UEFA European Championship - missing out on the final only after a penalty shoot-out defeat by Spain - and now their sights were set on a first FIFA World Cup finals.

Denmark and the Soviet Union entered the match playing catch-up with their rivals in Group 6. Both teams had played two games fewer than the Republic of Ireland and Switzerland, who - this being the era of two points per win - led the section with five points apiece. Yet the Danes, with four points from their three fixtures played, knew a victory would put them top and in firm command of their destiny. That was always likely to prove easier said than done against opponents a point worse off but eager to start imposing their pedigree on the teams around them.