By Lennart Simonsson
Copenhagen - By qualifying for the 2010 World Cup finals, Denmark surprised some of their own fans.
Despite topping the Group F table in March - ahead of Portugal and arch rivals Sweden - just four in 10 Danes polled at the time believed Denmark would make it to the finals.
But veteran coach Morten Olsen succeeded in getting the most out of his squad and proved his doubters wrong, securing an automatic qualifying berth.
Olsen has been at the helm of Denmark since 2000 and knows his players, and they in turn are familiar with the team's tactics.
And after qualifying, Demark should - despite hailing from a small football nation - set its sights high, Olsen told the BT daily recently.
"We should believe that if we are lucky in all areas - our best players are ready and on form, and we have a good draw - then we can go far. On a good day we can beat many teams," he said.
A World Cup tournament is a matter of four weeks, not six months, he observed.
The last time Denmark appeared at the World Cup finals was 2002.
The country's first appearance at the World Cup finals was 1986 in Mexico when Denmark earned the nickname "Danish dynamite".
The team - where Olsen himself was on the line-up - won fame for its attacking style before fizzling out of the tournament suffering a 6-1 drubbing by Spain.
The quarter-final spot in the 1998 World Cup finals is the team's best achievement in the worlds while Denmark's top football merit is the 1992 European championship title with a 2-0 upset against reigning world champions Germany.
For success in South Africa, Denmark needs to field its best players - and ensure they are on form. Several key players struggled with injuries during the qualifications.
Feyenoord forward Jon Dahl Tomasson remains a force but is not as speedy as during the height of his career, but creates room for other players with his ball handling.
Another key player is seasoned forward Dennis Rommedahl, on loan to Dutch side NEC Nijmegen from Ajax Amsterdam.
Like Tomasson he was forced to bow out from the two season-ending friendlies against South Korea and the United States, but is a safe bet in the World Cup squad.
During the qualification campaign Stoke City goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen made some crucial saves and is also favoured to start between the posts.
Denmark also fields several high-profile young players including defender Simon Kjaer, 20, who plays for Italian Serie A side Palermo and Liverpool's Daniel Agger, 24.
Kjaer has been nominated for the "Golden Boy" prize as the best under 21 player in Europe that previously has been won by the likes of Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Wayne Rooney and Rafael van der Vaart.
The 2009 award for Danish footballer of the year was however collected by Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner, 21.
The Coach:
Morten Olsen, 60, has coached Denmark since 2000. A central defender, he played 102 internationals for Denmark from 1970 to 1989, and the following year launched his coaching career with Danish side Brondby. Olsen's contract expires after the 2010 World Cup finals and in some interviews he has signalled an interest in coaching a club again. Before coaching Denmark he also coached German side FC Cologne and Ajax Amsterdam. Players on the national team and coaches in Denmark's premier league have urged the Danish Football Association to extend Olsen's contract, citing his track record.
The Star:
Defender Daniel Agger joined Liverpool in 2006 for a record-high deal for a player from the Danish league. Agger recently extended his contract to stay on at Anfield until 2014. He has played 29 international for Denmark and at age 24 could be a mainstay for many years to come provided he can stay healthy. Injuries - most recently back pain - have sidelined him from time to time.
Factfile:
Nicknames: Danish Dynamite, Olsen-Banden (The Olsen Gang), Olsens Elleve (Olsen's Eleven)
Founded: 1889
FIFA affiliation: 1904
Highest FIFA ranking: 3 - May 1997
Lowest FIFA ranking: 38 - March 2009
Previous World Cup appearances: 3 (1986, 1998, 2002)
Best World Cup performance: Quarter-finals (1998)
Date qualified for finals: October 10, 2009
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