Denmark put on brave face in Euro qualifying

COPENHAGEN, June 5 (Reuters) Denmark will try to forget Saturday's abandoned Euro qualifier against Sweden when they travel to Latvia on Wednesday in a match they need to win to keep alive realistic hopes of reaching next year's finals.

Denmark had rallied from 3-0 down to 3-3 against Sweden at home on Saturday but the match was abandoned in the 89th minute when a drunken fan attacked referee Herbert Fandel after he awarded Sweden a late penalty. The penalty was never taken.

UEFA's Control and Disciplinary panel will meet later this week to decide whether to allow the match to stand at 3-3, to replay the game, or to award a victory to Sweden.

''We have put this behind us, because you know it's not the first time in our careers we've had disappointment. We can't change what happened and I won't gain anything by thinking about what might have been if I had saved the penalty,'' Danish goalie Thomas Sorensen told Danish news agency Ritzau in Riga.

If Sweden are deemed winners, Denmark's chances of qualifying will be remote, with the 1992 champions trailing Sweden, Northern Ireland and Spain by five points or more in Group F.

Denmark coach Morten Olsen is expected to field a more attacking team against Latvia in Riga with Arsenal striker Nicklas Bendtner probably in the starting lineup. The 19-year-old came on early in the second half against Sweden.

Bendtner is likely to be joined by Jon Dahl Tomasson and Jesper Gronkjaer up front.

Sweden take on Iceland at home on Wednesday while Spain play Liechtenstein away. Northern Ireland next meet Liechtenstein at home in August.

REUTERS TB KN1928