Czech Republic 1-2 Denmark Baku
(Schick 49' — Delaney 5', Dolberg 42')
Scoring is not the sort of thing that Denmark's Thomas Delaney does very often.
He had just six goals in 59 goals for Denmark entering Saturday's quarterfinal against the Czech Republic. His scoring rate for Borussia Dortmund, the club for which he's played the last three seasons, isn't much better — four goals in 86 games.
But that doesn't mean the Danish midfielder is incapable of finding the back of the net. If anything, a scorpion kick goal during a national team training in March proved the opposite.
And when he found himself free in the box for an early corner from Jens Stryger Larsen, he knew what to do, hammering in the opening goal — his first at a major tournament.
"We had a plan, but my goal was not part of the plan," Thomas Delaney said with a chuckle to German broadcaster ARD.
The strike set up Denmark to continue their inspiring Euro 2020 run. Exactly three weeks after Christian Eriksen collapsed after suffering cardiac arrest, the Danes are now in the semifinals for the first time since their storybook title run at Euro '92.
Who is Thomas Delaney?
Delaney has admitted in an interview with German magazine Kicker that he would like to be able to do what his attacking teammates can do, but "it's too late for that now."
"I know what I can do and what I can't do," Delaney said. "I don't need to score 20 goals a year."
That certainly hasn't prevented him from rising up the football hierarchy. After getting his start at FC Copenhagen, where he won five Danish league titles and four Danish Cups, he spent one and a half seasons with Werder Bremen before joining Dortmund in 2018.
Along the way, he has mastered a hardworking, commanding style of play in midfield. He has professed that, in football, "the boring things need to be sorted first, then comes the fun."
When stadiums were empty during the height of the coronavirus outbreak in Germany, his voice was among the most prominent for Dortmund on the field. Kicker wrote that, while Bayern Munich has "Radio Müller" — a nickname given to forward Thomas Müller for his constant command-giving — Dortmund have their own "Radio Delaney."
"Especially in these times in front of empty stands, it's important for a team to have someone who steers, drives, gives commands and leads the way," Dortmund official Sebastian Kehl told Kicker in January. "He brings the mentality and toughness that we need."
The 28-year-old has taken a similar role for Denmark. He can be seen next to midfield compatriot Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg shouting orders to his teammate, directing traffic in front of him. In the round of 16 against Wales, Delaney was part of a key tactical switch that saw Kasper Hjulmand switch from a 3-4-3 to a 4-3-3, which lead to three second-half goals in a 4-0 victory.
His goal on Saturday was simply recognition for all the "boring" things he does for Denmark.
Delaney's role in the Christian Eriksen incident
Delaney was called on to be much more than a commanding presence in Denmark's opening game against Finland.
He and teammate Martin Braithwaite were the two closest players to Eriksen when he collapsed early in the first half. After Danish captain Simon Kjaer beckoned over the medical staff, it was Delaney and Yussuf Poulsen who built the shield around Eriksen.
And just like many of his teammates, Delaney struggled to contain his emotions.
''Simon showed his character. All of the players, the whole team, showed character during those long minutes,'' Delaney told a press conference a few days after the incident.
"Yussuf was by my side and we decided to make this shield to protect him. It was not only to protect Christian and the medical staff, but also Christian's friends and family. It was not a fun situation to be in, but it was the way we could help Christian.''
It was not the first time Delaney had seen a player collapse. He had taken part in a friendly between Dortmund and Dutch side Ajax when in 2017 Abdelhak Nouri, then a 20-year-old up-and-coming footballer, suffered a cardiac arrhythmia attack.
Delaney said the Danish teams feels stronger together in the wake of the Eriksen incident.
"I’ve experienced a lot in this squad for the past few days. Everyone had the opportunity to be honest about their feelings and it’s been a good thing," Delaney said. "It’s nice that we all know each other and everyone can just be themselves."
That togetherness has been on display since. Three weeks after Eriksen's collapse, Denmark have qualified for their third ever semifinal at a European Championship. The run has drawn comparisons with the one in 1992, in which an underdog Danish side toppled world champions Germany in the Euro '92 final.
"What we've been through, it's hard to describe," Delaney said after Denmark's win over the Czech Republic. "We have a great atmosphere within the team, so why not take the next step again?''
Tough tests await the Danes on the road to this year's crown, but with hardworking players like Thomas Delaney in their ranks and many neutrals on their side, Denmark's inspiring run could have a happy ending.