Cheers for reading, all. I’m off into the warm night, where who knows what might happen? (Probably home and bed, but you never know...). Ta ra!
Well, there you go. Good match, that, and a terrific performance from Sweden for the majority of the match, in control of play for the whole affair aside from about 20 minutes in the second half. 4-1 might be a tad flattering, but they thoroughly deserve their place in the final against Portugal.
You’d say that the Portuguese will make short work of the Swedes, but they didn’t in the group game between the two, and most expected Denmark to mop the floor with their Scandi rivals in this one, too.
Full-time: Sweden 4-1 Denmark
And that was the last touch of the game, sliding in after a counter-attack as the Danish defence went completely AWOL.
GOAL! Sweden 4-1 Denmark (Larsson 90 +5)
His first and only touch!
90 mins + 4: One final chance for Denmark...but two players in space on the edge of the box get in each other’s way. Sums up their night, really.
90 mins + 3: And a sub for Sweden - Sam Larsson replaces Thelin.
@NickMiller79 the enjoyable stuff you mentioned at min 77. Were you refering to the gamesmanship or the groin holding bit. Just asking...
— Robbie Borowczyk (@BorowczykRob) June 27, 2015
Both.
90 mins + 2: Weird one, as Viktor Fischer is introduced for Bech, with precisely two minutes to pull something out of the bag.
90 mins + 1: Bech with a late throw of the old dice, shooting low at the near post which it clips and goes wide.
90 mins: Four minutes of added time...
89 mins: A shout of encouragement to the unborn now, from Julian Menz: “Please give a big MBM shout to our little one who is now a week overdue and refuses to deign us with her presence until she is recognised by a global news outlet. Either that or she is waiting for the perfect three....Chelsea win the league, England win the women`s World Cup and Sweden the U21.
“Give little Molly Karlsson (we have to use the mother`s surname, as mine means “period” in Swedish) a big final push....”
88 mins: Poulsen goes down clutching his mush, crying foul via Lindelof’s elbow, but like the boy who cried being twatted in the face, he gets nowt for that.
87 mins: Sisto tries to create something from the left, flicking a cross over to the back stick for Bech, but Augustinsson just gets there to nod away.
85 mins: The Swedes are bouncing in the stands. And rightly so - few saw this coming.
83 mins: Great opportunism from Quaison, who robs a dithering Thomsen on the edge of the box and fires a shot through Busk’s legs and just into the net at the far post. Done and dusted, you’d think.
GOAL! Sweden 3-1 Denmark (Quaison 83)
And that’s that.
82 mins: Christensen tosses the ball into the box from deep on the left, but it pings around for a bit before going through to Carlgren. Denmark’s momentum has well and truly gone now.
80 mins: Close! Khalili had a great chance to seal it after some smart work by Quaison on the left, but the flicked shot with the outside of his right foot dribbles just wide.
78 mins: Sisto has looked pretty spicy since coming on, and he cuts in from the right and shoots low...but it’s straight at the miraculously recovered Carlgren who scoops it up.
77 mins: Some brazen gamesmanship by Swedish keeper Carlgren, going down holding his groin following no particular incident and demanding some treatment. And lo! He seems fine! That sort of thing is quite enjoyable, mind.
75 mins: Bech crosses low to the near-post where Thomsen just can’t get enough on the ball to threaten.
74 mins: Brilliant driving run from Thomsen who cuts a swathe through Swedish defence and midfield, before slipping it to Poulsen just inside the box...but his touch is heavy and it goes through to the keeper.
72 mins: Sub for Sweden, and surprisingly it’s the industrious Tibbling to depart, with Robin Quaison coming on instead.
71 mins: Hojbjerg does to ground with little persuasion on the edge of the box to win himself a free-kick. He takes it himself, but puts it straight into the wall, and the rebound doesn’t fare much better.
69 mins: Cracks in the Swedish defence now. Sisto curls a cross over from the left, it eludes the backline and Vestergaard finds himself in some space around seven yards out, but his touch is heavy and Carlgren smothers it.
68 mins: Bech, who had done the square root of eff all before his goal, now looks all spicy again. He breaks down the right, crosses but Poulsen can’t get to the ball.
65 mins: Another change for Denmark - Falk is off, and Pione Sisto comes on in his place.
63 mins: Something of a circus in the Sweden defence leads to a goal, as a ball into the box isn’t properly cleared, it pings around for a little before falling to Bech around six yards out, and he pokes it home. Is the comeback on?
GOAL! Sweden 2-1 Denmark (Bech 63)
Now then...
62 mins: Tibbling shifts himself some space about 25 yards from goal, moves to the right and fires a shot towards goal that Busk just tips round the post. However, none of the officials saw the touch and it’s a goal kick.
59 mins: A curious offside is flagged against the Danes. Nobody really seems sure why, but Poulsen is booked for having a smart mouth. Meanwhile, sub for Sweden - Guidetti is off, and the burly Mikael Ishak is on in his place.
57 mins: And here is Christensen, on for Jonsson. An attacking move for sure.
56 mins: Changes afoot for Denmark - looks like Vigen Christensen is about to come on.
54 mins: Hojbjerg brings the ball to the edge of the box and waits just too long to slip a pass to Poulsen, with the forward’s run just a little too soon and he’s flagged for offside.
53 mins: Denmark building, building, building. As yet though, to nothing.
50 mins: Another chance for Denmark, but Knudsen fouls Lindelof as they try to set up a cross. A lone, atonal English voice in the crowd sings a plaintive version of ‘Sing when you’re winning.’ No idea why.
48 mins: And Sweden have an even better opportunity, as a free-kick of their own is flipped to the back post, where Lewicki steals in and wins the header, but puts it across goal and just wide.
46 mins: Denmark get a chance straight away, as Hojbjerg puts over a free-kick from the right, Vestergaard gets up to win the header but Milosevic just does enough to put him off.
They’re back out for the second half. No changes thus far.
More from Tom Noble on Tibbling. Here he is aged 13 rinsing Christian Wilhelmsson at keepy-uppies.
Well. That didn’t go as expected. Aside from the opening ten minutes or so, Denmark really haven’t been at it, their play timid and uncertain. Sweden on the other hand have done everything right, defending stoutly and taking their chances when presented. It’ll take quite the turnaround in the second half to, well, turn this around.
Half-time: Sweden 2-0 Denmark
Peeeeeeeeeeep.
45 mins + 1: Oooooooooooof. Guidetti and Vestergaard go for a 50/50 on the corner of the Danish box, the latter gets there first, takes the ball and absolutely wipes out the latter. Brutal, but not illegal, according to the ref.
45 mins: Last dice throw for the half for Denmark, as Hojbjerg takes a free-kick from deep on the right. He tosses it into the box, it falls to Jonsson who shoots...oh. Well. Erm. That wasn’t good. High, high, high.
44 mins: Sweden attack once more down the right, with Lindelöf crossing low, but it’s cleared.
Meanwhile, info from Tom Noble: “Simon Tibbling never stops running and used to cry as his parents had to drag him from training. He also regularly did keepie uppies whilst walking to school, with a record of 16 000. Yes. 16 000.
“He’s also never worn a hair product.
“We love him.”
43 mins: Denmark look as if they could do some damage on the counter, but with options left, right and ahead of him, Hojbjerg dithers a little, so by the time he fed Thomsen outside the area the defence had closed in.
41 mins: Hojbjerg lines one up from way out, shoots, but it sails wildly over.
40 mins: Better from Denmark, shifting the ball out wide to Scholz, who puts over a fine cross from the right, Carlgren starts to come out, stops and would’ve been in some mither had it not been headed clear.
38 mins: Two balls on the pitch delays a throw-in for Denmark. Absolutely nothing is going right for them.
36 mins: Tibbling trundles down the right and clips to the back post for Khalili, who in turn lays it to Guidetti. He shoots on the turn, which is saved but very nearly spilled by Busk.
35 mins: Denmark are currently playing like an American college jock who swaggers into the party only to find the cheerleaders are talking to other dudes. Or something.
32 mins: More progress by Knudsen down the Danish left, this time laying infield to Bech, but his shot on the turn doesn’t have a great deal of power, or indeed direction to it, and it dribbles wide.
30 mins: Close for Denmark! Knudsen gets down the left and clips the cross over, and Poulsen gets up around eight yards out and heads....just wide. He falls slightly awkwardly and requires some treatment, but he should be OK.
28 mins: Denmark look a little lost now. This was most certainly not the plan. Jonsson tries a long ball down the middle, but that’s gobbled up by Calgren.
26 mins: File this one firmly under Turn Up For The Book. Guidetti runs down the left channel and the Danish defence keep backing off and backing off, so Guidetti keeps running. He reaches the edge of the box, squares it to Tibbling and his marker Thomsen slips over, leaving the path to the goal open, and Tibbling slots it home.
GOAL! Sweden 2-0 Denmark (Tibbling 26)
Sweet fancy Moses...
24 mins: Well that’s perked things up and no mistake. Sweden on the attack again, but this time Augustinsson’s cross from the left is headed clear at the near-post.
GOAL! Sweden 1-0 Denmark (Guidetti 23)
...and he sends the keeper the wrong way. Scenes!
PENALTY TO SWEDEN!
22 mins: Oy vey! Thelin is bundled over by Scholz as both go for a cross. A little harsh, perhaps, but here’s Guidetti...
19 mins: Guidetti, fresh from his pre-game funk odyssey, is involved for the first time, but he’s flagged offside making a run down the left channel.
18 mins: Again, Vestergaard has a dip from way out, but really doesn’t get hold of it and Carlgren gathers in routine fashion. Has someone told the Danes that the Swedish keeper is bobbins? They do seem quite keen on testing him from range.
16 mins: Sweden now sitting pretty deep and waiting for Denmark to attack. The ol’ two banks o’ four strike.
13 mins: Vestergaard ventures forwards and pings a shot at goal, but it dribbles wide. He sweeps his surfer dude hair aside to claim a deflection and a corner, but no dice there.
Meanwhile - stick this in your kipper and smoke it, British radio man...
@NickMiller79 When Sweden played England, British radio baulked at number of Swedes playing in the local league - but who's in the semis?!
— PressOfficeMan (@PressOfficeMan) June 27, 2015
11 mins: GOA....oh, no, it’s been disallowed. Bech whips a corner into the near post from the right, Poulsen goes up, half wins the ball and eventually hoys the ball into the roof of the net, but the lino’s flag had gone up whippet-quick to signal a handball. And, from the replays, he was bloody well right.
Updated
10 mins: Chance for Denmark, as Hojbjerg, who will presumably be at the centre of most things they do, clips a cross into the box from the left, where Falk’s header is deflected wide.
9 mins: Sweden have a corner, but before you can say ‘those sods have left three screws and a wall bracket out of this box’, Denmark at countering at pace, through Bech, but eventually Sweden manage to smuggle the ball away. But boy, that was fast. I mean, that really escalated quickly.
7 mins: First chance for Sweden, as Khalili booms over a right-footed cross from the left, Thelin is there for the header but it’s easily gathered by Busk in the Danish nets.
6 mins: Falk, presumably a relative of Columbo star Peter, tries to make an incision into the Swedish defence on the right side of the box, but no dice there.
4 mins: Bech makes some tracks down the right and gets a cross into the middle, but Milosevic is there to head away. Pep Guardiola’s blue-eyed boy at Bayern Hojbjerg takes the corner, which is whipped in at some pace, but Milosevic is there to head it away.
2 mins: The Swedes are, as is entirely sensible when playing a technically superior team, not letting the Danes have a spare second on the ball in the opening exchanges.
1 min: We’re away. For those of you watching in black and white, Sweden are in yellow and blue.
The teams are out, and this fresh-faced collection of kids whose hopes and dreams have not yet been dashed will play football shortly.
If you don’t fancy this caper much, Death From Above 1979 are playing at Glastonbury now, which by the magic of modern technology, you can watch here.
John Guidetti has been dancing on the pitch before this one. More than a whiff of Tyres from Spaced about his moves. You lucky people.
Incidentally, these two did play each other in a friendly just before the tournament. That one ended 2-2, with Nicolai Brock-Madsen (on the bench for Denmark today) bagging a brace that time.
Here’s John Ashdown’s report on how Portugal pulled down Germany’s pants earlier and smacked their bottoms with some gusto.
Interesting call there from Denmark coach Jess Thorup to leave out Ajax’s Viktor Fischer - not many expected that one. Otherwise not too many surprises - Jonas Knudsen is back from suspension for the Danes, while Filip Helander comes in for Joseph Baffo, who suffered a soldier injury against Portugal last time out.
Team news
Sweden
Calgren; Lindelöf, Milošević, Helander, Augustinsson; Tibbling, Hiljemark, Lewicki, Khalili; Guidetti, Kiese Thelin
Denmark
Busk; Scholz, Vestergaard, Christensen, Knudsen; Jonsson, Thomsen, Hojbjerg; Falk, Poulsen, Bech
Preamble
In the eyes of the players, the preliminary stages of international tournaments are mere preambles, the formalities they have to complete before they reach the main prize, which in the case of these tournaments is, erm, the main prize. The teams must reach the final, and of course soak in the experience, but not for them the enjoyment of a sustained period of lovely football, which is the privilege of us lot sitting around in our pants, scratching ourselves and shovelling pizza and beer into our faces while belching obscenities at the TV screen.
This is business, and as such could be regarded as something of a chore, but it is made bearable by the concept of reward for their efforts. They are working towards a thing, and specifically in this case that thing is a place in the final of the Under-21 Euro finals. A carrot wafting in front of their collective faces, dangling temptingly.
However, one wonders whether the carrot in this particular semi-final is really that juicy, given that the victors will be awarded the chance to play Portugal, who have just flamboyantly handed Germany’s collective bottom to them. Those two, by common consensus, are the best two teams remaining in the tournament, and thus perhaps whoever faces Portgual in the final will also be issued with something close to a severe hiding. “Not many football specialists would have had Denmark and Sweden down among the favourites to go through to the semi-finals!” admitted Denmark boss Jess Thorup this week.
Still, this is nonetheless a spicy enough encounter, two Scandinavian nations stripping to the waist and doing battle in the most masculine way possible. The Danes should have the best chance of besting whoever they face in the final, whereas the Swedes are perhaps just glad to be here. They snuck into this stage thanks to an 89th-minute equaliser against Portugal that sent both sides into the semis, a draw that of course Italy’s Stefano Sturaro didn’t take at all well. Sweden also have the ignominy of losing to England as a colossal mark of shame branded ‘cross their foreheads. Unforgivable, that.
Anyway, should be a good one. Stay tuned.
Kick-off: 8pm BST
Kick-off is at 8pm BST. Nick will be here with team news and build-up from 7.30pm.
