Eriksen hattrick wins World CupberthforDanes,Irishout
2018 WORLD CUP QUALIFIERS Scandinavians grab the last spot from Europe after 51 victory DUBLIN: SYDNEY:
Denmark go to next year’s World Cup with one of the world’s top 10 players in Christian Eriksen, coach Age Hareide said on Tuesday, after the Tottenham playmaker grabbed a hat-trick in the 5-1 thrashing of Ireland.
Denmark booked their ticket to Russia in style in the second leg in Dublin, running away with a tie that was in the balance after a goalless first game in Copenhagen. “All the teams who go to the World Cup have star players and players who can make the difference and Christian showed that today,” Hareide told a news conference.
“He’s absolutely in the top 10 (players in the world). We saw it against Real Madrid, he’s probably one of the best players in his position in Europe at the moment.
“He has this capability of scoring goals, making assists and finding space.”
Asked how far his free-flowing team could go at next year’s tournament, Hareide said it would depend on the draw but added that the side wanted to improve and play good football.
IRELAND WILL BOUNCE BACK, SAYS COACH
Ireland manager Martin O’Neill has vowed that the Republic of Ireland will bounce back from the worst defeat of his four-year reign when they begin their quest to reach a third European Championship finals in a row.
Ireland now have a long wait until their next competitive fixtures because the qualifiers for the 2020 European Championships do not begin until March 2019.
“We’ve lost a play-off game and we’ll come back again,” O’Neill promised.
“This is hard work and we’ve only been beaten four times in 24 competitive matches since I came in,” added the manager.
O’Neill received plenty of flak of leaving Wes Hoolahan out in order to put the returning David Meyler back into a midfield diamond formation which played to the strengths of Denmark’s hattrick hero Christian Eriksen.
JEDINAK HELPS AUSSIES MAKE IT TO WORLD CUP
Mile Jedinak didn’t miss when it counted, propelling Australia into next year’s World Cup with three goals in Wednesday’s 3-1 intercontinental play-off victory over Honduras.
The Australia captain was in doubt for the series with a groin injury that had forced him to miss end of the Asian qualifying campaign, when his team narrowly missed out on direct entry to the tournament in Russia.
But Jedinak played a full game in the 0-0 draw in San Pedro Sula last Friday and, aided by the state-of-the-art rehabilitation program on Australia’s charter flight home, took the free kick that broke the scoring drought in the 54th minute at Sydney’s Olympic stadium.
His free kick curled to the left of the wall and deflected sharply in off defender Henry Figueroa, bringing the parochial 77,060strong crowd at Sydney’s Olympic stadium to life.
He converted from the spot in the 72nd after referee Nestor Pitana penalised Bryan Acosta for a hand ball and again calmly slotted home another penalty after Robbie Kruse was dragged down in the area in the 85th to ensure Australia qualified for its fourth consecutive World Cup.