Own goal haunts Denmark defender Poulsen

Jun 17, 2010, 15:42 GMT

Copenhagen/Johannesburg - Danish defender Simon Poulsen has a hard time getting over the own goal he scored against the Netherlands in Denmark's World Cup opener, he said Thursday.

'I have thought about it a thousand times,' Poulsen told the BT tabloid. 'Of course, I have tried to think about all the positive moments in the match, and I think the team and myself played a good first half. Yet the (own) goal keeps coming back.'

'I have seen it on TV, and it's really unfortunate,' Poulsen said of the clearance he headed in the beginning of the second half that bounced off team-mate Daniel Agger's back and went past goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen.

Football's ruling body FIFA later named Agger as the unlucky own goal scorer.

Danish fans have forgiven Poulsen, and he has not been lambasted by team-mates or coach Morten Olsen.

Denmark takes on Cameroon on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Arsenal forward Nicklas Bendtner did not take part in Denmark's World Cup training session Thursday, and stayed at the players' hotel for physiotherapy.

Several Danish physicians have questioned the wisdom of starting Bendtner, who has a groin injury, in Denmark's June 14 opener against the Netherlands. The forward played for an hour before he was substituted.