Denmark took its first step in its 2018 World Cup qualification bid yesterday evening with a 1-0 win against Armenia at the Telia Parken stadium.
Christian Eriksen got Denmark’s only goal after 17 minutes in a match the Danes dominated from start to finish – holding 73 percent of possession and managing 20 attempts on goals to Armenia’s one.
“We deserved to win by more today,” captain Simon Kjær told Bold.dk.
“We played the ball around well and it looked really nice, but we should have scored more goals.”
The Danes came close several times, with Viktor Fischer hitting the crossbar and Eriksen missing a penalty.
READ MORE: Sports News in Briefs: Denmark embarks on road to Russia
Top of Group E
The win puts the Danes top of Group E following Poland’s surprising 2-2 draw away to Kazakhstan and Romania’s 1-1 draw at home to Montenegro.
The match was Åge Hareide’s first competitive game in charge of Denmark, and his use of a 3-5-2 system with attacking wing-backs produced chances and attractive football.
But the real test will come in a month’s time when the Danes have to take on Poland away.
Golden girl through to quarters
Meanwhile, Caroline Wozniacki made it a splendid Sunday for Danish sports fans, easing into the quarter-finals of the US Open with a straight sets defeat of Madison Keys, the fourth favourite for the title.
Wozniacki was defensively brilliant, making just seven unforced errors in her 6-3, 6-4 defeat of the American world number 10.
The Dane only hit 12 winners compared to her opponent’s 30, and she was greatly assisted by Keys’ 33 unforced errors.
Next up for Wozniacki is Latvia’s Anastasija Sevastova, an unseeded player who knocked out French Open champion Garbiñe Muguruza in an earlier round.
Wozniacki is now 16/1 to win the tournament – the only grand slam she has ever threatened to win, reaching the final in 2009 and 2014.
