WORLD CUP : Denmark Beats West Germany, 2-0--So Far, So Perfect
For German-born Sepp Piontek, the coach of the Danish World Cup team, it was a sweet victory. But it wasn’t very artistic, he thought.
“We were not at our best,” Piontek said Friday after the Danes beat West Germany, 2-0, to clinch first place in Group E. “We are able to show more.”
The Danes, making their World Cup debut, joined Brazil as the only 3-0 teams in opening-round play. They will play Spain here next Wednesday in the second round.
Jesper Olsen scored on a penalty kick, and John Eriksen also connected for Denmark.
West Germany finished in second place with a 1-1-1 record in the group and Tuesday will play Group F winner Morocco at Monterrey.
Looking ahead to the next round, Piontek seemed eager to meet the Spaniards.
“Spain has got an excellent team,” he said. “It will be difficult, but we are not afraid of anyone. They kicked us out of the 1984 European Championship. Now it’s our turn to kick them out. But we must play much better than today.”
West German Coach Franz Beckenbauer offered excuses for his team’s loss.
“We have played our best game so far,” he said. “That we went down on the penalty was somewhat tough luck, and the second goal was suspiciously offside.”
Two minutes from halftime, Denmark’s Morten Olsen broke free on the left wing in the penalty area and was dragged down by Wolfgang Rolff. Jesper Olsen took the penalty kick and sent it to goalkeeper Harald Schumacher’s left as the goalie dived right.
Eriksen, who came on at halftime for Preben Elkjaer, Denmark’s leading scorer, steered in a pass from the right side by Frank Arnesen after both had slipped behind the gambling defense at 53 minutes. Elkjaer limped to the team bus after the game with a reported left thigh sprain.
Denmark broke quickly and nearly scored at seven minutes, but John Sivebaek’s kick from right wing was tipped wide by defender Karl-Heinz Foerster.
Arnesen, one of Denmark’s best attackers, was ejected in the final moments after a hard tackle on Lothar Matthaeus. He will not be available for the game with Spain.
