The Hindu : Sport / Football : Danish fans pin their hopes on Tomasson

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jun 09, 2004

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Danish fans pin their hopes on Tomasson

COPENHAGEN, JUNE 8. Hopes are high among Danish fans that AC Milan's Jon Dahl Tomasson will deliver for Denmark.

Tomasson has become a key player on coach Morten Olsen's side and has often performed as lone striker, not the least when fellow striker Ebbe Sand has suffered from goal drought.

With four goals at the 2002 World Cup in Japan and Korea, Tomasson was the tournament's second top scorer and his World Cup success landed him a transfer from Dutch side Feyenoord to Milan.

He was well aware he would risk being sidelined in the star-studded Serie `A' team.

"I was aware of the competition, but was ready for the next stage," said Tomasson in a television interview.

However, the 27-year-old has an ability of producing goals when given the chance to play. With 10 goals for Milan this season, he was the club's second-best scorer through the end of April.

Part of this can be attributed to his gift of being in the right place at the right time as well as the hours of training with Milan's deputy coach, former legend Mauro Tassotti.

Another factor that Tomasson has mentioned is that he enjoys life in Milan and is given more time on the pitch than when he first arrived in Italy.

Statistics indicate that he has one of the best goalscoring records in Serie `A' in relation to minutes played.

His first appearance on the national team was the March 1997 World Cup qualifier against Croatia. Some two years later, he scored the first of his 27 goals (As of April 27) for Denmark in the Euro 2000 qualifier against Wales.

The striker left Denmark in 1995 at the age of 18 when he signed a two-year contract with Dutch club Hereenveen.

In the same year he moved on to English Premier League side Newcastle United where he spent an unsuccessful season before moving back to the Netherlands and Feyenoord in 1998 where he started to find his form again.

In Portugal, Denmark faces Scandinavian rival Sweden, Bulgaria and Italy.

"Italy are the big favourites," Tomasson said. "But imagine putting a spoke in their wheel," he smiled, well aware that several AC Milan players will play for the azzurri.

No doubt, Tomasson is also aware that a good performance in Portugal would hardly harm his chances of more Serie `A' appearances with Milan. — DPA

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