Be difficult to take, admits Schmeichel
his enigmatic, back-handed compliment. “The game plan is easy. They don’t change much, they have the same style but stick together, they have great spirit.”
Eriksen was one of the youngest players at the World Cup in 2010 and, after being at the Euros last year, he feels that another World Cup appearance could see Denmark fulfil their burgeoning potential.
“I don’t think anyone goes into a match frustrated, we will do our thing, They will have people behind ball, we want to play,” he said. “We want to play and create chances but we might get fewer opportunities than we normally do so we need to take them.
“You think it’s nice having a holiday but it is boring watching other teams play at a major championship. Your mind is somewhere else. We’ve tasted it twice before and I want to go there a third time.”
For Schmeichel, it would be a maiden bow.
“I’ve never played in a major tournament and it is something I want to experience. It’s not enjoyable sitting at home and certainly something we want to achieve,” he said.
The hope is that victory will be earned, not swayed by refereeing error.
“It’s a shame that a refereeing decision can impact so much,” says Schmeichel, referencing Windsor Park. “We all saw it was quite obviously not a penalty. Hopefully we won’t concede something like that, we would feel hard done by.”
The Copenhagen faithful have had their fill of bleak drama