Lars Sondergaard said the pressure is on co-hosts Australia in front of a packed house after his Denmark side reached the knockout stages of the Women’s World Cup for the first time in 28 years. The Danes set up a date with Australia in the last 16 after a 2-0 win over debutants Haiti to take second place in Group D behind England. They will face Australia in front of a partisan sellout crowd in Sydney on Monday, but Sondergaard said: England crush China 6-1 to book last-16 clash with Nigeria, Danes also through”Anything can be decided in those kinds of cup games, anything can happen. We have a pretty good defence, we have a player like Pernille Harder who can decide games. So we have a pretty good chance. We know it is going to be difficult but we are looking forward to the game. We are going to see it as a fantastic experience. The whole nation are standing behind them. That’s important for them, but it could also be pressure when the game goes into the second half and it’s still 0-0, and anything can happen” said Danish coach.##EDITORS_CHOICE##Skipper Harder, the undoubted star of the Denmark team and whose first-half penalty put them on the way to victory over Haiti, said her side will not settle for merely reaching the last 16.”I’m so proud of the girls, proud of the team that we made it through the group stages. It’s a long time since a Danish team did that at the World Cup so I couldn’t be more proud for the hard work that we put in and I am also excited for the next game. It’ll be a full stadium with a lot of Australians in it, so it will be an experience for us and it’s something I’m looking forward to. But of course we are also hungry for more” said the Bayern Munich attacker.The 100th goal of the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup will forever belong to Denmark’s Pernille Harder 🇩🇰🙌 pic.twitter.com/fgvHW6zuCd— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 1, 2023 Australia’s skipper and talismanic striker Sam Kerr is expected to return from a calf injury to make her debut at this World Cup. Harder knows Kerr well, having played with her at Chelsea before her recent move to Germany.”I’m looking forward to seeing her, but not playing against her” she said.© Agence France-Presse##NAJAVA_MECA_7403134##
