Soccer: Danes put top sides on notice

ULSAN - Denmark have raised the obstacles higher for France in the defending champions' effort just to survive the first round.

A day after Senegal stunned the French 1-0 in the tournament's opening game, Jon Dahl Tomasson scored in each half as the Danish team beat Uruguay 2-1 in Ulsan, South Korea.

That left Senegal and Denmark at the top of the group A standings with three points each, and France and Uruguay with no points.

The French now have little hope of advancing without victories over Denmark and Uruguay, the 1930 and 1950 champions.

"Everybody knows the first game is very important in a World Cup for your confidence and I think we deserved to win it," Denmark coach Morten Olsen said.

But he still rated France as the favourites.

"I think they will be very difficult to play against."

Tomasson headed his second goal seven minutes from time to give Denmark the win.

He had a nightmare season with Newcastle five years ago but refound his form with Dutch side Feyenoord, winning the Uefa Cup this season to earn a big-money move to AC Milan.

A spectacular volley by Dario Rodriguez just after halftime looked to have earned Uruguay a draw after Tomasson had put the Danes ahead just before the interval.

Rodriguez, a 27-year-old Ronaldo lookalike, tried his party piece again some 15 minutes after his goal, but an outstretched Danish leg got in the way.

The Uruguayans, who qualified last of the 32 finalists, struggled to create chances, with Sebastian Abreu and Alvaro Recoba well marshalled by the Denmark defence.

The Danes played with composure and measured build-up play through the midfield and should have gone ahead after 11 minutes.

Thomas Helveg found Ebbe Sand unmarked in the box - an unusual slip for a Uruguayan defence marshalled by Paolo Montero - with a cross from the right wing, but the striker's diving header hit the ground with force and shaved the crossbar.

Uruguay, playing in the finals for the first time since 1990, had a special axe to grind with the Danes, who had thumped them 6-1 in the 1986 finals.

But, unfortunately for them, revenge was not forthcoming.

- REUTERS

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