1 -	2
Gustavo Mendez (25)		Jan Heintze (35) Martin Laursen (53)

    Jon Dahl Tomasson scored late in either half to give Denmark a vital 2-1 win over Uruguay here on Saturday in their opening World Cup 2002 Group A match at the Gwanjgu World Cup Stadium.

With group favourites France having been stunned by Senegal in Friday's tournament-opener both sides were looking to take full advantage.

And it was Newcastle reject Tomasson who stormed to the top of the goalscoring charts with fine finishes on the stroke of half-time and then seven minutes from the end to give the Danes the points.

Tomasson side-footed home a Jesper Gronkjaer cross to break the deadlock and give the Danes a lead they barely deserved in terms of possession.

Dario Rodriguez smashed home a brilliant left-foot volley from some 25 metres for the equaliser barely two minutes after the restart, netting only his third goal in the light blue of the 'Charruas'.

But Tomasson, who had a nightmare with Newcastle five years ago but refound his form at Dutch side Feyenoord, winning the UEFA Cup this season to earn a big-money move to AC Milan, struck the winner when it seemed the game was headed for a draw. The 25-year-old outjumped two static defenders to power home a header after a cross from Martin Jorgensen. Milan appear to have bought the right man if Tomasson's finishes are anything to go by.

Rodriguez, a 27-year-old Ronaldo lookalike tried his party piece again some 15 minutes later - but this time an oustretched Danish leg got in the way.

Thereafter the contest, which had been end-to-end in the opening period, developed into more of a tactical game of chess.

But the Danes had a trump card in fired-up Tomasson - and their opponents lost theirs when Inter Milan star Alvaro Recoba, who had been carrying a leg muscle injury all week but reported fit enough to start, went off with 20 minutes remaining having been at the hub of most of his side's best moves until then.

The Uruguayans, playing their first finals since 1990 and looking to avenge a 6-1 beating in the 1986 competition against the Danes, made the better start as strikers Sebastian Abreu and Dario Silva put the Danish defence under pressure.

Uruguay coach Victor Pua risked leaving Richard Morales on the bench despite the striker's two goals in the playoff win which sent Uruguay through to the finals at Australia's expense last November. By the time Morales came on for Abreu in the 88th minute it was too late.

The Danes were relying on Schalke striker Ebbe Sand to blossom as he did in 1998, when the Scandinavians reached the quarters before an unlucky loss to Brazil, soon found their rhythm as Everton's Thomas Gravesen cracked the whip in midfield.

And Sand was desperately unlucky in the 12th minute when he saw a diving header bounce up and hit the bar with keeper Fabian Carini beaten. But it was Tomasson who stole the limelight.

Chelsea flier Gronkjaer was proving a thorn in Uruguay's flesh and Gustavo Mendez was booked on 25 minutes for bringing down the Dane - who withdrew from the fray midway through the second half to be replaced by Jorgensen of Italian outfit Udinese.

Martin Laursen crunched into Abreu as Kuwaiti referee Saad Mane added his name to his notebook.

Uruguay
Carini, Mendez, Sorondo, Montero, Rodriguez (Magallanes 87), Garcia, Guigou , Varela, Silva, Abreu (Morales 88), Recoba (Regueiro 80).

Goal: Rodriguez 47

Denmark
Sorensen, Henriksen, Laursen, Heintze (Niclas Jensen 57), Helveg, Tofting, Gravesen, Gronkjaer (Jorgensen 70), Tomasson, Sand (Poulsen 89), Rommedahl.

Goals: Tomasson 45, 83.

Att: 30,157