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‘Can’t be more proud’: Peter Schmeichel praises son & Denmark team despite World Cup exit
Goalkeeping great Peter Schmeichel has spoken of his pride at son Kasper and his Denmark teammates, despite the nation being knocked out of the World Cup in Russia by Croatia on penalties.
Kasper Schmeichel made two saves in the shootout – as well as one from a spot-kick during extra time – but it was not enough to prevent Denmark from losing 3-2 on penalties in their last 16 clash against Croatia.
READ MORE: Croatia beat Denmark on penalties to set up World Cup quarter-final with Russia
Peter Schmeichel, who won 129 caps for Denmark during his own playing career, was in the stands at Nizhny Novgorod Stadium, and later tweeted his pride at his son’s performance, despite the painful defeat.
The accompanying pictured showed Schmeichel Sr. in the colors of former club team Manchester United, holding the hand of a young Kasper at Old Trafford.
Lost for words. Can’t be more proud of my country, my son, his teammates, all the staff and our fantastic national coach Åge Hareide. When all the tears have dried out we will realise how well we did 🇩🇰 #WorldCup pic.twitter.com/vhGZQtDyJm
— Peter Schmeichel (@Pschmeichel1) July 2, 2018
Man of the match Kasper Schmeichel had kept his team in the game against Croatia when he saved a penalty from Luka Modric four minutes from the end of extra time with the scores level at 1-1.
That sent the game into a shootout, and the Leicester City keeper produced two saves from Josip Pivaric and Milan Badelj, although Schmeichel’s Croatian counterpart Danijel Subasic made an incredible three stops to hand Croatia passage to a quarter-final against hosts Russia in Sochi on July 7.
The five penalty stops the pair made in the shootout was a new World Cup record.
5 - Croatia - Denmark is the first penalty shoot-out with five penalties saved by the goalkeeper in #WorldCup history. Heroes. pic.twitter.com/9oi8I3pUc3
— OptaJohan (@OptaJohan) July 1, 2018
Sunday was a day of goalkeeping heroics, after Russia’s Igor Akinfeev made two stops in his team’s shock last 16 win against Spain.
After that game, RT special guest host Peter Schmeichel had said the Russian goalkeeper "deserved a statue" for his stunning penalty saves.
READ MORE: ‘Akinfeev deserves a statue’ – Schmeichel on Russian goalkeeping hero
Kasper Schmeichel had beaten his father’s clean sheet record at the World Cup in Russia, surpassing the 533-minute mark in the group stage game against Peru.
He later went on to concede from a penalty against Australia, but kept a clean sheet against France in the final group game, before the agonizing defeat to Croatia.