In a small nation that takes enormous pride in its sports heroes, the Schmeichel-name, just like the Laudrup-name, is virtually untouchable. To bring Kasper’s possible selection for the national team into dispute is certainly to leave yourself vulnerable to criticism.
Nevertheless, the Nations League clash against Portugal should mark a milestone for Danish football as it ideally was the last time we saw Schmeichel in action for the national team.
Both Peter and Kasper Schmeichel have had tremendous importance for Danish football for decades and their contribution cannot be put into question. But all good things come to an end and judging from Schmeichel’s performance in Lisbon on Sunday, we must have reached the end of the Schmeichel-era in the Danish national team.
The 38-year-old Schmeichel has for a long time been far from the level he showed during the 2018 World Cup and also during the EURO 2021, where he was a decisive factor in qualifying Denmark for the semifinals.
After leaving Leicester, he couldn’t hold down a first-team spot in Nice and Anderlecht, before he moved on to Celtic, where he is today employed in a league where the level is generally lower than in the Danish Superliga.
Some people might argue that his performance on Sunday was heroic as he saved a penalty from Cristiano Ronaldo and chose to stay on the field (as coach Brian Riemer had used all his substitutions) despite suffering enormous shoulder pain after falling awkwardly during extra time.
But it was what happened in between that clearly proved that Schmeichel’s days in the national team are numbered.
When Portugal took the lead after 38 minutes, he looked slow and didn’t show the athleticism needed to quickly turn in the opposite direction, even though the ball was long time in the air before it rolled into the back of the net.
Despite Schmeichel’s shortcomings, Denmark were only four minutes away from booking a ticket to the semi-finals, when another error from the Celtic shotstopper proved fatal for the Danes.
A Portuguese cross was in the air, giving Schmeichel plenty of time to go out and catch the ball. But instead, his poor punching caused unnecessary havoc in the Danish rearguard where the ball in the end fell to Francisco Trincao, who hammered home when the Danes were otherwise on the brink of causing a huge upset.
Schmeichel was also very much to blame when Denmark made a disastrous start to extra time. Instead of parrying a long-distance shot into a corner, Schmeichel parried the ball straight into the path of Trincao, who was offered his second gift of the night by the Danish keeper.
Brian Riemer has been praised for his courage so far in his short reign in the Danish national team since taking over from Lars Knudsen. Riemer did not want to attach any blame to Schmeichel following his performance in Portugal but said in connection with the equalizer (2-2) that Patrick Dorgu’s positioning also could be blamed.
Riemer could be forgiven for handing Schmeichel the chance to shine in Lisbon on a team fairly inexperienced in handling scenarios with such tension as the one in the Portuguese capital. But having just embarked on his career in charge of the Danish national team, Riemer is left with a perfect opportunity to draw a line in the sand and send Schmeichel off to his retirement in the red-and-white national team shirt.
It's certainly not like Riemer lacks options for finding a replacement for Schmeichel. Leicester’s Mads Hermansen has had a difficult time in the Premier League this season, but most people would argue that he’s been a victim of a defensively frail Leicester rearguard who has left their Danish goalkeeper in dire straits on numerous occasions.
Hermansen is among the Leicester stars who have played the most minutes this season, and without him, the Foxes may have already been relegated. Indeed, Hermansen has for a long time been tipped to become Denmark’s next number one.
In addition, Brian Riemer also has the luxury of having Filip Jorgensen from Chelsea at his disposal. Jorgensen has, in record time, become No. 1 choice between the posts at the London club, and his past performances for Villarreal and the Danish Under-21 national team bodes well for a bright future.
Riemer should never accept a situation in the national team where it's easier to forgive errors if your name is Schmeichel, and consequently, it is time to clear the path and make room for Hermansen and Jorgensen to impress.