The net did not swing for the first time at the World Cup in Qatar. This Tuesday (22), Denmark and Tunisia drew 0-0 at the Cidade da Educação Stadium, in the capital Doha.
The clash inaugurated Group D of the competition, which still includes France and Australia. The current world champions will debut later, at 4 pm (Brasília time) this Tuesday, at Al Janoub Stadium, in Al-Wakrah.
It ends all square at the Education City Stadium ?@adidasfootball ?? #FIFAWorldCup
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 22, 2022
Result aside, the game was special for Cristian Eriksen. On June 12, 2021, the Dane suffered a cardiac arrest in a Eurocopa match against Finland. The midfielder, who said at the time that he had “died for five minutes”, had to have a pacemaker fitted and saw his future in football in doubt. He, however, returned to the pitch in January of this year and returned to the national team two months later.
Denmark, by the way, went to the field wearing a monochromatic shirt, where the federation’s shield and the logo of the sporting goods company are “camouflaged”. This is a protest against allegations of human rights violations in Qatar. The selection was also one that intended to adopt the expression one love (“Um amor”, in the English translation) on the captain’s armband, alluding to the LGBTQIA+ cause, but which ended up withdrawing under pressure from the International Football Federation (FIFA). Homosexuality is prohibited in the host country of the World Cup.
One year and five months after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Eurocopa game, midfielder Cristian Eriksen entered the field for the Danish national team in the Qatar Cup – Reuters/Bernadett Szabo/Reserved Rights
The next match between Tunisians and Danes will be on Saturday (26), for the second round of Group D. At 7 am, the Africans will face Australia at Al Janoub. Later, at 1pm, the Scandinavians take on France at Stadium 974 in the capital Doha.
Eagles dominate first half
Pushed by the crowd, mostly in Cidade da Educação, Tunisia controlled the first half, advancing the marking and leaving at speed. In the 11th minute, full-back Mohamed Dräger finished from the middle, the ball deflected off defender Andreas Christensen and went close to the right post. Next, Anis Ben Slimane took a corner from the left and fellow striker Youssef Msakni sent a dangerous header over the goal.
1′
Tacle plein d’autorité d’Aissa Laidouni sur Eriksen !#DANTUN ?? #TeamTunisia #FIFAWorldCup pic.twitter.com/acb1iYmjM6
— Tunisie Football (@tunisiefootball) November 22, 2022
The Tunisians even scored at 23, with Issam Jebali, but the move was invalidated. The striker received the back of the Scandinavian defense and hit goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in an offside position. At 38, another African scare, now with Aissa Laidouni. The midfielder was left with a corner kick and finished in the small area, on the right, above the goal. Four minutes later, Jebali was thrown in Schmeichel’s face and tried to cover up the Scandinavian archer, who he saved with a switched hand, avoiding the first of the Carthage Eagles.
And Denmark? Little has been seen of the team that “walked” in the European Qualifiers (nine wins in ten games) and even defeated France in September, by 2-0, for the last round of the League of Nations. With no space in the middle, the European team tried to reach the sides, without effectiveness. The sharpest opportunity in the first half was a shot by defensive midfielder Pierre Hobjerg, from the edge of the area, which goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen grabbed in the middle of the goal, in the 33rd minute.
Dynamachine stops on beam
Tunisia came back for the second half, starting to score in the midfield and betting on counterattacks, despite the lack of technical quality in the last pass. With more space, Denmark finally managed to be dangerous. In the ninth minute, striker Andreas Skov Olsen took the leftover shot from full-back Joakim Maehle and sent it into the net, but what would have been the first European goal was disallowed for offside in the origin of the move, in a cross by midfielder Mikkel Damsgaard for right.
Looking for the breakthrough ?#FIFAWorldCup ?? #Qatar2022 pic.twitter.com/vg7AEbIt0J
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) November 22, 2022
At 23 minutes, it was Eriksen’s turn to test Dahmen, who made a good defense in finishing the entrance to the number 10 area, sending it out. In the corner kick, Christensen anchored in the small area and striker Andreas Cornelius, with the goal empty and almost on top of the line, stopped at the left post, in the clearest opportunity of the match so far.
The confrontation gradually lost intensity, with passing errors on both sides and little creativity. In addition, the Mexican referee Cesar Ramos was called to the video to check a supposed penalty in favor of Denmark, for touching his hand in the area, after a corner kick by Eriksen. The referee saw the play quickly, but kept the field call. In the end, no goals at Cidade da Educação.
