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Two bits
Nigeria, Denmark hope for first trip to quarters
Posted: Saturday June 27, 1998 07:07 PM
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Amokachi (center) is doubtful for the Denmark match after missing every practice since Thursday with a twisted knee (AP) |
SAINT-DENIS, France (AP) --
Nigeria,
carrying the World Cup hopes of a continent, and Denmark both
aim to erase painful memories from past trips to the second round when they
square off at France '98.
Neither has ever reached the quarterfinal stage, but that will change
after their meeting Sunday at the Stade de France.
Just 60 seconds and Roberto Baggio stood between Nigeria and the
quarterfinals four years ago, but the Super Eagles' suspect defense let a
1-0 lead slip away. Denmark's only other trip to the round of 16 -- in 1986
-- ended in humiliation with a 5-1 loss to Spain.
"They are playing for themselves, for Nigeria and also for Africa,"
Nigeria coach Bora Milutinovic said of his talented squad, which topped
Group D. "These types of games bring out their best."
The African contingent here of five teams was the highest ever, but
only Nigeria is left in the draw. It could become just the second team from
the continent, after Cameroon in
1990, to reach the quarters.
The confident players are thinking even bigger.
"We are now one of the favorites," defender Taribo West said. "Denmark
plays an English style, which is an advantage for us. We know that tactic."
Denmark scraped through Group C, managing only a 1-1-1 record and a
total goals tally of 3-3.
But built around the get-to-everything goalkeeping of Manchester
United's Peter Schmeichel and the solid play of the Laudrup brothers,
Denmark is precisely the type of squad that could give Nigeria fits. If the
Scandinavians play a down-tempo, ball-control style, it might disrupt the
Super Eagles, who prefer free-flowing soccer.
Brian Laudrup (right) and Denmark have scored three goals in the tournament (AP) | |
"They have good tactical discipline and that could be a problem,"
Nigeria winger Mutiu Adepoju said. "We'll have to try to push the pace."
His teammates do that as well as anyone in the tournament, turning up
the volume on a bop-'til-you-drop brand of attacking play. Milutinovic, the
only man to coach four teams into the second round, has a wealth of weapons
and Nigeria's five goals so far have been scored by five different players.
"We're going to try to play our football," said captain Uche Ukechukwu,
a central defender who missed Nigeria's final group game -- a half-hearted
3-1 loss to Paraguay --
through suspension. "We always do, no matter who we play. Schmeichel is
very good but you have to win as a team, not as individuals."
Nigeria should take that to heart.
The team's weak point, aside from defensive inconsistency, is a
tendency to look too often for the pretty one-on-one play.
"In the course of a game, a team like Nigeria will always be tempted to
exaggerate its playing with the ball. That is exactly where we should enter
the game," said Brian Laudrup, captain Michael's younger brother.
Milutinovic, who previously guided Mexico (1986),
Costa Rica (1990) and the United
States (1994) to the round of 16, has just one injury doubt: striker
Daniel Amokachi, who has a twisted knee. Amokachi almost certainly won't
face Denmark after missing every practice since Thursday, including
Saturday evening's session under the rain at the Stade de France.
Given the luxury of a meaningless match -- Nigeria had clinched first
place in Group D after two opening wins -- Milutinovic rested the bulk of
his starters against Paraguay.
Denmark coach Bo Johansson has to worry about ailing defenders Marc
Rieper (back) and Michael Schjoenberg (knee) and midfielder Allan Nielsen
(ankle). In addition, reserve forward Miklos Molnar is suspended.
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