EM 2024: Karma punishes Denmark’s Joachim Andersen

Joachim Andersen almost became the Danish hero against the DFB team, but in the end he became the tragic figure. A provocation played a decisive role.

For a moment, the Danish national team and Joachim Andersen felt very close to the quarter-finals of the 2024 European Championship – and then did something that is a provocative absurdity in professional football. And which in this case was immediately punished. Doubly so.

In the 48th minute, Andersen scored a low shot into the far corner of the German goal after a confusing set piece situation to make it 1-0. The defender turned, started celebrating and sprinted towards the Dortmund south stand, where the German fans were mourning because their team had just apparently gone behind. His teammates followed Andersen into the “Deutsche Eck”, built themselves up and celebrated extensively.

Twice video evidence, twice Andersen “loses”

Too hasty. The goal was disallowed due to an offside position, the Danish lead was gone, and the German fans celebrated as if they had scored a goal themselves. But the punishment for the Danish celebration provocation was not over yet, the second act followed just two minutes after the offside decision. When David Raum crossed, Andersen pushed his arm out very far, away from his own body, and deflected the ball, which was punishable.

For the second time, the video images exposed the Danes – whose 1-0 celebrations quickly turned into a 0-1 dreariness. And penalty scorer Kai Havertz didn’t miss the opportunity to personally repay Andersen and Co., this time celebrating in front of the Danish fans. Karma punished Andersen and Denmark, Germany was lucky.

Hjulmand rants about video evidence

The underdog was close to progressing, and not just because of the strange story between the 48th and 52nd minutes. Rasmus Höjlund had a great chance to take the lead shortly before half-time, and overall Denmark were really good in the game after a dominant German start.

In the end, Kasper Hjulmand’s team failed again primarily because they were too harmless in front of the opponent’s goal. In four European Championship matches, “Danish Dynamite” only two hits.

But Denmark’s coach was not seething with anger at the subsequent press conference. Hjulmand pulled out his mobile phone and showed the still image of the offside position before the supposed 1-0, when Thomas Delaney’s toes were a little ahead.

“The game was decided by two VAR decisions. We shouldn’t use the video referee, it’s about one centimeter“, said Hjulmand.

“I’ve had enough of this ridiculous hand rule”

But what annoyed him even more was the decision to award the penalty that made it 1-0 for Germany.”I’m really fed up with this ridiculous hand rule, we can’t expect defenders to run with their hands behind their backs”said Wheelman: “It was a normal action. The ball hit his hand from a meter away. I rarely talk about decisions like this, but of course it was decisive. It’s frustrating.”

The 52-year-old stressed that he actually likes the VAR. “Technology is good for sport”he said: “But if a decision is good, you should be able to see it from the moon and it shouldn’t be a matter of a few centimeters. And then we were explained the handball rule in seminars and told that something like that is not handball because it is a natural position. I just ask myself: what is the rule?“

Hjulmand sees “great future” for Danish team

Three years ago, the Danes made it to the semi-finals of the European Championship, which was postponed to 2021 due to the corona pandemic – now they only made it to the round of 16. And reaching the last 16 was by no means a big feat.

Denmark also played a part in ensuring that Group C, with opponents England, Slovenia and Serbia, was not exactly the highlight of the tournament.

Hjulmand also put this down to the fact that it was the first major tournament for many of his players. One example is striker Höjlund, who was not able to show his class at the European Championships as he did at Manchester United.

“Our young players still need to gain experience. Our mission is to be able to compete with the big players, this time only a few details decided the game“, said Hjulmand, but promised: “Now it hurts and we are disappointed, but this team has a great future ahead of it.”