FIFA World Cup 2022: Australia def Denmark, plans exposed by secret note

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has revealed new details of how his team came to possess World Cup opponent Denmark’s in-game tactical notes.

Socceroos coach Graham Arnold has revealed fresh details over the incident in which Denmark’s mid-game tactical notes ended up in the hands of the Australian team – and taken a pot shot at Australia’s rivals over a lack of pre-game planning.

On Thursday, footage emerged on social media of Danish substitute Robert Skov and striker Andreas Cornelius entering the contest with the world No.10 down 1-0 to Australia – and some hand-written tactical notes in the hands of Skov.

He handed them to captain Christian Eriksen, who passed the important information onto fellow midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg – before it ends up in the middle of Al Janoub Stadium, and soon after is in the hands of Australian striker Mitchell Duke.

Interesting series of events from @Socceroos game no one is talking about:

70' Danish sub carries note onto field to give to Eriksen
72' Note appears to end up in hands of Aussie coaching staff
74' Australia makes sub and switches formation to 5-4-1 #GoSocceroos#GiveIt100pic.twitter.com/owweXnDtIC

— Gerard Laws (@gerard_laws) December 1, 2022

“Mitchell Duke brought it over to me, and I thought he was being nice cleaning up rubbish,” Arnold joked .

The vision also showed a sequence of events that led to the note being handed to Arnold, and then his discussion with assistant coach Rene Meulensteen two minutes before Australia made a match-sealing substitution by bringing on an additional defender, in Bailey Wright.

Wright’s addition, for attacking midfielder Riley McGree, led to a switch of formation for Australia – who went to five at the back as they attempted to protect the one-goal lead.

Bringing on more defensive weapons in a game where the Socceroos are clinging to a slim lead is hardly something an experienced coach like Arnold needs to be told by a note, of course.

Graham Arnold shares a moment with Bailey Wright after their 1-0 victory over Denmark. Picture: Alex Grimm/Getty Images

In fact Arnold denied he’d gleaned anything useful from the note – claiming to have not even read it – and instead took aim at Denmark for being ill-prepared for the all-important match.

“(Duke) handed it to me and I didn’t even look at it. I just handed it back because I was focused on the substitution,” Arnold said.

“I knew when (Cornelius) came on that we had to go to a back five. I always have a Plan A, B, C and D… E, for every occasion if you’re down 1-0 or up 1-0.

“In that little way it showed me (Denmark) didn’t have a plan ready. It was an off-the-cuff thing, if they’re having to send notes out to players… it’s not pre-planned beforehand.

“Where we pre-planned those type of things beforehand so the players know if Bailey Wright comes on like he did they knew straight away we’re going to a back five because we’d already done that messaging.”

EXPOSED: HOW AUSTRALIA OBTAINED SECRET DANISH PLANS

Sensational new footage has revealed how Australia obtained Denmark’s secret plans in their World Cup boilover.

The vision, broadcast on the world feed and unseen by Australian viewers, shows the crucial moment coach Graham Arnold and his staff discover their rival’s mid-game tactical changes during the Socceroos’ 1-0 victory which propelled them into the Round of 16.

In the 70th minute, with Australia clinging to a one-goal advantage, young Danish forward Robert Skov is substituted into the came – armed with some notes from the coaching staff about a change in formation, which he promptly hands to captain Christian Eriksen.

However within two minutes, the note has been discarded by Eriksen and finds itself in the hands of Australian striker Mitchell Duke – who promptly passes it onto the Australian staff on the sideline.

How did Denmark's note end up in Aussie hands?

“The Danish note may have found its way to the Australian bench now,” remarked commentator Daniel Mann, as the camera cuts to Arnold and assistant coach Rene Meulensteen in discussion.

“It’s not just about the pure football, getting the job done.”

Two minutes later, Australia makes an important late substitution to give defender Bailey Wright his first action of the World Cup, with Australia shifting to a five-man defensive line as they repel repeated waves of Danish aerial bombardments of the Socceroos’ penalty area.

Wright, along with Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles and wingbacks Milos Degenek and Aziz Behich, produce an extraordinary defensive display for Australia to hold out for the final 16 minutes of regulation time and a further six minutes of injury time.

The Socceroos privately claim the information had no influence over their substitution plans, and that the note merely confirmed what they suspected when Denmark made the move to bring in two towering strikers while chasing goals late in the game.

After the match Arnold praised Australia’s supreme defensive display, which secured back-to-back cleansheets for the first time in the Socceroos’ World Cup history.

“I thought overall defensively we were very good,” Arnold said.

“Obviously they put a big striker on and had two strikers on and I knew they were going to start hitting long balls.

“That’s why I put Bailey Wright on for a back five. Obviously then it’s going to push you deeper but we needed that extra man centrally to help with dealing with the crosses and long balls.”

The incredible vision evokes memories of Australia’s clutch penalty shootout win over Peru in June, which sealed their place at the Qatar World Cup, when goalkeeper Andrew Redmayne threw away the penalty notes of rival goalkeeper Pedro Gallese.

Redmayne is spotted picking up Gallese’s water bottle, which had cheat notes on Australia’s penalty takers written on the side, and tossing it behind the advertising boards.

Redmayne would later go viral for his ‘Grey Wiggle’ dancing before his penalty shootout save.

Originally published as FIFA World Cup 2022: Australia def Denmark, plans exposed by secret note