A Nordic World Cup sure has its problems. Six automatic spots won't happen. I can't believe the Nordic FA's are pushing for this. A tournament with Nor-Den-Swe hosting would be a much stronger bid, including more compact geographically and three spots for hosts could be negotiated. It was reported a few weeks ago that Denmark wants to stage the 2025 Euros.
This kind of threat needs its own threat! thread. Nordic WWC 2027 bid: 6 hosts? - https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/nordic-wwc-2027-bid-6-hosts.2098576/
Caroline Hansen's contract with Wolfsburg is running out this summer, and she still hasn't extended it. Negotiations have stalled. Last year she extended it by only one year, so she might have ambitions to play elsewhere. There are rumours she is heading for Barcelona, but coach Stephan Lerch hasn't given up on her yet. May be an improved contract will be enough for her to stay, and that this is something her agent is working on behind the scenes. The best Caro can do then is to deliver on the field. This weekend she scored one goal and assisted a further three in Wolfsburg's 6-0 win against Werder Bremen.
^^^^ If I'm not misremembering she is a huge Man U fan. Do you think they could be in the running too? Anyway, Norway's first Algarve match is tomorrow, so just crossposting this here from the Algarve thread:
Algarve Cup Norway vs Denmark 2-1 0-1 Nadia Nadim 17 1-1 Therese Åsland 77 2-1 Lisa Marie Utland 90+2 Line-up (4-4-2): Cecilie Fiskerstrand - Synne Skinnes Hansen, Kristine Leine (Ina Gausdal 88), Stine Hovland, Cecilie Kvamme (Emilie Haavi 78) - Karina Sævik, Vilde Bøe Risa (Amalie Eikeland 61), Ingrid Syrstad Engen (Maren Mjelde 61), Therese Åsland (Heidi Ellingsen 78) - Lisa-Marie Utland, Emilie Nautnes (Isabell Herlovsen 78). Norway had a very inexperienced starting line-up with only 109 caps combined, and beat Denmark who looked close to full strength with their big guns present. Sjögren rested Caro Hansen, Reiten, Maanum, Mjelde, Hjelmseth, Moe Wold, Herlovsen, and without injured Minde and Thorisdottir. A few of them made appearances as subs later on in the game though. A good start to Algarve Cup. Highlights here:
Of course, since they're not going to the WWC, the Danes have no reason to set their conditioning to June and they're perfectly ok with playing this Algarve Cup at full strength, without experimentations or players' try-outs. From highlights, you get the impression that maybe a draw would have better reflected the course of the game, but I well know how this kind of very short highlights can be misleading. If you watched the full match, @Bauser, what's your impression?
Yes, although I've not seen the full game myself, reports say Denmark deserved at least a draw. They did control the game for most parts, and missed some big chances. The reserve players needed this experience. I think it was a good decision by Sjögren to start them. One of the reasons to this is because it's only 48 hours until the China game next. Rotation was expected. After the China game there is five days rest until the placement match. Other teams only get two days, which is the big problem with groups of three teams... I expect Norway to start full strength in our remaining two matches at Algarve.
What reports are these? A draw wouldn't have been unfair, as Denmark did have a fair few unconverted chances, but Norway had at least as many and had the run of the play for most of the match, apart from a period at the start of the second half. The ref was woeful though; did her best to whistle the match to pieces (regardless of team, she killed the momentum of both). The NRK stream is still up, btw, if you want to watch the whole match.
Algarve Cup Norway vs China 3-1 1-0 Isabell Herlovsen 9 2-0 Caroline Hansen 31 (might be o.g. Wu Haiyan after examination) 3-0 Emilie Haavi 42 3-1 Wang Shanshan 90+2 Line-up (4-4-2): Ingrid Hjelmseth - Synne Skinnes Hansen, Ina Gausdal, Stine Hovland, Cecilie Kvamme - Emilie Haavi, Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Vilde Bøe Risa, Guro Reiten - Caroline Graham Hansen, Isabell Herlovsen Norway made six changes to the team that beat Denmark. More regular starters on the team sheet. Now group winners.
Algarve Cup - Final Norway vs Poland 3-0 1-0 Isabell Herlovsen 24 2-0 Caroline Hansen 65 3-0 Karina Sævik 74 Line-up (4-4-2): Cecilie Fiskerstrand - Synne Skinnes Hansen (Ingrid Moe Wold 46), Maren Mjelde (Therese Åsland 46), Stine Hovland, Emilie Haavi - Caroline Hansen (c), Ingrid Syrstad Engen, Vilde Bøe Risa (Amalie Eikeland 81), Guro Reiten (Heidi Ellingsen 81) - Lisa-Marie Utland (Karina Sævik 62), Isabell Herlovsen Winners! I haven't seen the game, but judged by highlights it was a comfortable win against Poland who had fewer days rest than Norway. Nice to see Karina Sævik come off the bench with assist and a goal. I mentioned earlier this tournament is her chance to be part of the group. I think she took it. Fiskerstrand only kept goal because Hjemseth got injured in the warm-up. Caroline Hansen was voted best player of the tournament.
Dramatic structure change in Norwegian club woso. NFF decided today to reduce the number of Toppserien clubs from 12 to 10 starting from the 2020 season. The top four clubs in the new 10 club league will meet in a home/away mini-league to decide the championship. Clubs 5 to 10 plus the top two clubs in the division below (total of 8 clubs) will play in a one-legged "survival league". The bottom two will not play in Toppserien. Theoretically you can have no promoted teams with this new system. Most of the influential people in Norwegian woso seem very positive about this. I remain very sceptical.
Do you know where NFF got the idea? looks pretty much like something the Swedish Icehockey federation could have come up with in their top clubs ongoing attempt to make it a closed league.
NFF claim Norway don't have enough top senior players to cater for a 12 club league. The average age in Toppserien is only around 22. Far too many teenagers go straight into starting line-ups in Toppserien clubs because of early retirements of players around 25. Most 20-somethings can't continue to play as long as they want at top level because of economical reasons. NFF now try to fix this and gather the best players in fewer clubs. And with the help of new sponsor deals signed over the last year or so, mainly Obos, some extra players might afford to stay in the top level game longer. I might see the reason for cutting down on clubs, but the whole play-off league system is not in my taste.
Teams 1-4 playing an additional six games against each other seems a bit extra. It will be late in the year and the weather will be a factor. As a wise man once said, you can't play tippy-tap football in October and November up north. So the most direct team will have an advantage. If you're going to go to 10, why not go to 8 and make it really interesting and get rid of the goofy playoffs?
In reality it's only two extra matches. A 10 club league only has 18 matchdays and with the six championship games it adds up to 24 compared to 22 with the current 12 club format. Snow shouldn't really be a factor in October and early/mid November, certainly not in Southern Norway where all top clubs are.
NWSL is a closed league ; in terms of roster talent, more fat cows (not the players but the teams, LOL) vs. more lean cows, envisioned by this move???
FIFA WOMEN'S WORLD CUP Norway triumph as France 2019 sides prepare in Portugal (FIFA.com) 07 Mar 2019 © imago Norway win their fifth Algarve Cup Caroline Hansen named player of the tournament Seven FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019™ qualifiers took part Norway won the 26th Algarve Cup thanks to a 3-0 defeat of surprise packages and last-minute guests Poland in the final. The competition featured seven of the teams who will run out at the FIFA Women's World Cup France 2019 and revealed much about their form in the countdown to the big event. Did you know? Norway won the Algarve Cup for a fifth time, 21 years after their last tournament triumph (1994, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2019). With less than 100 days to go to the World Cup, Martin Sjogren’s charges look the most secure and mature of all the sides that were on show in the Algarve. The champions have a lot going for them, not least the goalscoring ability of Isabell Herlovsen and the understanding between forwards Emilie Haavi and Caroline Hansen, who was named player of the tournament. Final standings Norway Poland Canada Sweden Scotland Denmark Spain Switzerland Iceland Portugal The Netherlands China PR Report card Scotland were one of the standout teams, and coach Shelley Kerr can take great satisfaction from the attitude and the performance of her team. Competitive, combative, focused and determined, both in their mindset and their play, the Scots showed they are on the right track for France. Canada and Sweden settled their battle for third place in a penalty shoot-out. Both sides showed they are making progress, having each brought in a clutch of talented youngsters to complement the many attributes offered by their more experienced players. The Netherlands had a disappointing tournament, losing all their games except for their last, which ended in a draw, and scoring just the one goal. The reigning European champions were at full strength when they went down to Spain, while the second string lost out to Poland, leaving coach Sarina Wiegman with plenty to ponder in the months ahead. China PR lost 3-1 to Norway, 1-0 to Denmark and suffered a shoot-out defeat to the Dutch following a 1-1 draw in regulation time. Coach Jia Xiuquan’s experiments failed to yield results and his task now will be to come up with solutions. FIFA Women's World Cup ✔@FIFAWWC Martin Sjögren, Head Coach “It’s very important to create the feeling of winning” @nff_landslag #AlgarveCup #FIFAWWC #DareToShine 39 16:09 - 6 Mar 2019
Good reason to downsize to ten teams. Perhaps even good enough for the playoff league, but is not an explanation for the "survival league".
Good reason to downsize to ten teams. Fairly good for the playoff league, but is not an explanation for the "survival league" which is the problem in this structure. And what will the rest of the clubs in the second tire do during the late fall? play for nothing except relegation or not play at all?
Here is the women's national team's new costume Norway will hunt the World Cup medal in a new suit. See it and read more about it here. Share: Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on mail Print Caroline Graham Hansen with Norway's new costume. | Photo: NIKE Nike and NFF today launched the national team suit for the women's national team for 2019, inspired by Norwegian cultural heritage. Combined with Norway's brand colors red and blue, the home suit has a pattern borrowed from traditional Norwegian ski men. The result is a unique aesthetic that decorates the front of the suit. The kite kit is supplemented with shorts and socks detailed with the same graphics as the suit. "We wanted to produce a set that captures traditions from Norway, the national team and supporters who give the team great support," explained Cassie Looker in Nike. - We feel that we have achieved it with a design that is an original concept for a football package, but also unmistakably Norwegian, she continues. Norway will use the new suit when they fight for World Cup medal in France for the summer. The football players, who went to the top in 1995, qualified for this year's championship after winning the qualifying group in front of the ruling European champion Netherlands. - We can bring a lot of positive from winning the qualifying group. It won't be easy, but we feel that we have the quality to make a good tournament, ”says Caroline Graham Hansen. Norwegian football benefits from a stronger together culture, which includes financial equality for male and female national players. This core value of equality is presented by a bureaucracy on the inside of the suit that represents inner pride in the homecoming. The words 'WE' and 'ME' are printed inside the seal burrow and represent VI and I. - The new suit has patterns and themes that represent Norway and Norwegian football. They will be known to our supporters, and hopefully they will use this suit this summer and support the team, says Graham Hansen. The new Norway set is the final product of three years of work from Nike, and development to create a "future fit" for women's football. The process started with athletes, and the feedback led to the V-neck collar, longer sleeves and reshaped suit and shorts in line with their needs. The player's accurate 4D measurements were taken, including heat mapping to ensure proper ventilation. The research group also took the body in motion during this process to measure the impact the movement had on the garments. The result is the most individually tailor-made and performance-focused women's set Nike has ever produced. "It is relatively easy to design a set that fits well with national anthems, but Nike is focused on a set that moves with the body through the most athletic movements," Cassie Looker explains. In addition, as it has been since 2010, all Nike sets are made from recycled water bottles. Since 2010, Nike has diverted more than 6 billion plastic bottles from landfills with this innovation.