1912 Olympic Games Official Report Part 2

Denmark kicked off, but Great Britain was the first to make anattack by means of Berry. It was evident that the teams were takingeach other’s measure and, for the first ten minutes, the ball oscillatedsomewhat nervously between Hansen’s and Brebner’s goals. Whenten minutes had passed, however, the British line of forwards steadieditself, and a well-executed centre attack was completed by Walden’smaking the first goal of the match.Great Britain continued to press, but Middelboe and the rest of theDanish defence left nothing to chance, attacking with vigour andassurance, while, at the same time it gave good support to its ownforwards. Anton Olsen gave Brebner a whizzing shot which theBritish goal-keeper was obliged to tip over the bar, but, from the cornerthat followed, Jorgensen only put the ball hard against the timber.Great Britain’s second goal was a remarkable present from HaraldHansen, who stopped the ball a long way out on the line and directlyafterwards, without the least reason in the world, sent it in towardshis own goal. Quite naturally, two of the English forwards wereunmarked, and Gordon Hoare put the ball past Sophus Hansen,who was absolutely helpless.But Denmark did not lose courage. The half-backs began to playa harder game and, from a pass by Buchwald, Anton Olsen drove alightning ball past Brebner from a distance of about 25 metres. Thisgoal poured oil on the Danish fire, and each moment it looked as ifthe teams would be brought level when, suddenly, Buchwald afterhaving headed a ball, fell and sprained his hand badly. He had tobe helped from the field, and Sophus Nielsen, the brilliant strategistof the Danish five, was obliged to retire to half-back. As a naturalconsequence the Danish combination went to pieces in places, andthe British team knew very well how to make use of their opportunities.Before three minutes more had elapsed they had made thefigures 4-1, the result of most brilliant play on the part of theforwards. Gordon Hoare made the first of these two fresh goals, ahard and accurate header from Berry’s centering, and Berry himselfsecured the fourth after dribbling past Harald Hansen. Half timecame with this result unaltered.During the second half the Danes continued to play with ten men,and altered the arrangement of their team, Jörgensen and Niels Middelboechanging places. The first part of the second forty-five minutesresolved itself into a long duel between Great Britain’s forwards and theDanish defence, the latter being quite equal, however, to dealing withtheir formidable opponents. On the other hand, the four Danish forwardscould make no very great impression on the British defence,the latter, too, playing an exceedingly hard game, But then Middelboechanged places once more, this time with Anton Olsen, and theball began to whiz about Brebner’s goal again. Anton Olsen playedexcellently at centre halfback — the Danes seemed to be able to playequally well in any position — and from his foot came the onlygoal made during the second half, once more a long low ball acouple of inches above the ground.494