By Philip O’Connor
COPENHAGEN (Reuters) – Denmark will once again place their tournament hopes at the feet of versatile attacker Pernille Harder as they contest their first Women’s World Cup finals since 2007, but their route to the knockout stages will be a tough one.
The Danes face China in their first Group D game, followed by European champions England and newcomers Haiti, and they will need all of the 30-year-old Harder’s attacking guile if they are to progress.
Entering into his last major tournament as Denmark coach, Lars Sondergaard’s main task will be to work out where to deploy Harder, who recently left Chelsea to sign for Bayern Munich and who is capable of playing anywhere across the forward line or in midfield.
“I like the problem – I think that Pernille should be on the ball a lot, but she also has to be on the ball where it where she can make a difference,” the 64-year-old Sondergaard told Reuters in a telephone interview.
“I don’t think I’ve met anyone with the football intelligence of Pernille. The good thing now is that we can put her where we need her the most,” he added.
Harder netted the only goal for Euro 2017 runners-up Denmark as they crashed out at the group stage of last year’s European Championship. However, Sondergaard said his side had learned their lesson and now know where best to deploy Harder, who is Denmark’s all-time top scorer on 70 goals.
“We’re in a position where we can put her to work where she can do the most for the team. I don’t think I’m going to put her on the left on the right, I want her in a central position where she then can find her positions in the game,” Sondergaard said.
The prospect of Harder floating between the lines is likely to strike fear into the hearts of opposition defenders, and Sondergaard promised that his side would play the kind of attacking football that Danish fans have come to expect from their national teams.
However, that does ot mean that they are going to be naive or underestimate their group opponents as they aim to make the last 16.
“I would like to go through the group stages, and no matter what happens, I would be disappointed if we don’t get that step further,” Sondergaard said, adding that he knew what would be needed.
“You have to be good. You need your best player to perform at their best level, and that’s what I’m hoping for, of course.”
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Christian Radnedge)
