EM 2024 - Denmark's unlucky man of the evening: Joachim Andersen
Freud and sadness often lie close together. None experienced this cruelly on a Saturday evening like Joachim Andersen. The Danish defender put his team unexpectedly in the lead in the 48th minute, but the VAR overturned the goal – offside.
Four minutes later, in the 52nd minute, the Video Assistant Referee intervened again, this time on the other side. A cross from David Raum had landed on a Danish arm. Consequently, referee Michael Oliver checked for a handball on the monitor and awarded a penalty kick for Germany. The culprit, of course, was Joachim Andersen.
Kai Havertz calmly converted the penalty kick in the right corner for a 1:0 lead for the Germans, and Andersen looked visibly frustrated. And five minutes later, the 28-year-old was in the spotlight again. For a foul on Robert Andrich, who was briefly treated on the field, Andersen saw a yellow card. There was likely a lot of frustration in that challenge as well.
"The saddest Dane"
But that wasn't enough. When Nico Schlotterbeck sent Jamal Musiala on a run with a lofted pass in the 68th minute, Andersen was responsible for the dribble-strong Munich player and chased after him. Musiala dispossessed his defender and scored Germany's second goal. The next cold shower for the Danes.
Afterwards, Andersen could not find his way back into the game, he seemed completely absent on the pitch. ZDF commentator Oliver Schmidt described the defender as "the saddest Dane" on the field. Many German fans will have felt sympathy for Andersen in this moment.
The German team was able to celebrate at the end, in large part due to the Danish defender. He experienced the tragedy of football in concentrated form and became the scapegoat of the evening.
Joachim Andersen's evening took an unfortunate turn in the 68th minute, as he was outmaneuvered by Jamal Musiala and resulted in Germany's second goal. Oliver Schmidt, the ZDF commentator, noted Andersen's demeanor following the setback, dubbing him as "the saddest Dane" on the field. In the midst of Germany's celebrations, it was evident that Danish defender David Raum shared a challenging roller coaster ride with his teammate Andersen throughout the match, playing for Denmark.
