France looked in their sweet spot playing a South Korean team trying to build out of the back. It will be interesting to see how they handle a more direct approach.
And today should be interesting too, because if anyone is by nature prepared for Norway's attack, it would be someone like the Nigerians. Speed and power and quick breaks will be neutralized and the savvy of CGH and GR will be key today.
Josimar put out an English version of their Hegerberg interview, which also includes some other stuff from their 130-page special: http://josimarfootball.com/miss-selfishness/
Altmeister Even Pellerud weighs in on Norway's World Cup chances. He is now stationed in France as a spy for Norway scouting opponents for the group stage and beyond. He is not as optimistic as the players whose goal is to medal in the World Cup. Pellerud has coached in five World Cups (Norway 3 and Canada 2). How do you view Norway's chances? - If you ask neutrals abroad, we are not contenders. Not top four and may be not even top eight. But the team has set their goal high and as Martin Sjögren says, we are a very good team, with emphasis on team. If Norway is second in the group, we'll likely play Brazil, Italy or Australia in the round of 16. - These are all teams we are on par with. These are teams Norway can beat, Pellerud says with considerable optimism in his voice. The Norwegian players want to go much further than the round of 16. The goal is to medal. - That's a tall order, Pellerud says. I won't say it's natural to think about a medal for that team. But everything is possible. Factors like luck and momentum will play a part, which means a lot in tournaments. Nobody had thought Netherlands and Denmark would meet in the Euro final two years ago. Norway have players who work very well together, but the test comes now. Is the team strong enough to withstand the opposition coming from now on? We have a few high profile players, but should may be had a few more. But this is the moment to step up, right? It is. We have many young players who should peak in four years or so, so this is great experience for them. The biggest challenge for the Norwegian team is the surroundings at matches with large crowds. = = = = = = = = = = = = 111 random Toppserien players were asked before the World Cup how they think Norway will perform in the World Cup: Champions: 1.9% Bronze medal: 4.6% Quarter-final: 39.8% Round of 16: 38.9% First round exit: 7.4% (This only adds up to 92.6%, so I assume finishing second and fourth make up the remaining 7.4% which wasn't listed in the source.)
According to NRK, Sjögren will make one change tonight, but keep the formation from the Nigeria game. Lisa Marie Utland is benched in favour of Karina Sævik. Sævik drops back to Caro Hansen's right wing position, and Caro is moved up front replacing Utland. That's a bit more attacking than what I thought. I had pretty much calculated with a defensive 4-5-1. --------------------- Isabell Herlovsen --- Caroline Hansen ---------- Guro Reiten --------------------------------------- Karina Sævik ------------------------- Vilde Bøe Risa -- Ingrid Engen Kristine Minde -- Maria Thorisdottir -- Maren Mjelde -- Ingrid Moe Wold ----------------------------------- Ingrid Hjelmseth
No way you can call that penalty. They need to take a page out of North American NFL rules. You stay with the call on the field unless there is indisputable evidence otherwise. To me contact was made on the ball, therefore no foul.
I'm annoyed Syrstad Engen didn't get more of it, but there definitely was contact on the ball before a natural follow through. I also don't think there was excessive force on the kick. One question might be if you think Syrstad Engen should be looking to clear like that when the ball was only just off Torrent's foot. Edit: Definitely the wrong call by Steinhaus on a further viewing or two. I don't know what I was thinking earlier about being on the fence. It was a poor clearance, but she got all ball and followed through naturally. I thought Torrent was initially closer, but she wasn't. The only reason she got so close was because she lunged in recklessly with a two footed challenge. This was inches away from being an awful two footed over the top challenge catching Syrstad Engen's leg as she cleared the ball. (Maybe a bit hyperbolic, but I don't know what Torrent thought she was doing there jumping in like that.)
I thought Norway looked really good and made France look uncomfortable. They have a really nice team in general; I also heard that they are missing their best player as well. Is this true? Really too bad if so.
Norway is messing its best scorer in Hegerberg (at least when you factor in club football as well), but as an outsider, I don't really know if the team plays better with her. I believe she didn't like the play style and tactics of the team as Norway crashed out of the Euros. She left the team, and ever since, Norway has mostly gotten decent results. Now, of course, saying the team is better without Hegerberg based on this is probably a bit shady, but I don't know if you can really say Norway is messing her at this tournament either. Of course, someone who actually has followed the team closely over the last two years can probably give more and better insight than I can.
I suppose when this happens during a World Cup you're anyway tied to the roster you've chosen and you can't replace an injured player.
That's right. Sjögren is pondering whether to fly down an extra player anyway to have a full 11 v 11 in training sessions. Otherwise the third choice goalkeeper has to fill in the role of a winger.
remembering a couple of of articles/polls featuring their 'top 100' players list from last year; both of them had as many as 10-11 Norwegians listed(which was more than even American players). So they defnitely have the talent, I follow woso, but I never even knew previously players like Saevik & Engen, yet they were able to tango really well vs the more heralded French middies. Norway seems to be the Uruguay of woso. a small country(5 mill) that can produce way more than it's fair share of quality players
Engen has been hailed for quite some time in this thread even if she's never featured in a major senior tournament until this summer. She has now been a regular in the Norway line-up for over a year and done increasingly well. Sævik going under your radar is more understandable. She did score a goal in Toppserien which went viral online early in spring season, but was never thought of as a possible starter for Norway until very recently.
Good news after all. Caro Hansen has suffered a tiny ligament injury on her foot, but the team doctor is optimistic that she can be ready for the round of 16 match on Saturday night with the right treatment the following days. Coach Sjögren will approach the next game also with a plan B in case Caro doesn't make it.
Doesn't Norway ever do the caterpillar celebration thing anymore? What good does it do for Norway to advance without the caterpillar thing?
I've read that Engen's headed to Wolfsburg, slightly bizarre, cuz in terms of looks, she could be mistaken as Gunnarsdottir's twin! lol. I wonder too, why pick WOB? It's won the Bundesliga title by 8 points & it's only going to be get more dominating as the other league clubs have been so cheap in opening up their wallets. So WOB has had another excellent recruiting season(Huth, Rolfo, Bloodsworth) but finding real competition(until their inevitable showdown with Lyon) is another matter(they actually beat 2nd place league's Bayern Munich, 6-0 & 5-0). Plus got to wonder if she's going to get much playing time? Considering that fellow country lady, Minde, was having a great early season while scoring several goals from FB, getting frustrangly replaced as starter by the player known as Babette Schlecht & barely seening again the playing fields for the reminder of the year! & taking chances on a squad where the coach refuses to start even German's top CB, Doorsoun. So hence an odd choice, pus possible chosen cuz the money offered might be good.
According to Engen herself, Wolfsburg have been scouting her for two years. They've pretty much analyzed everything she's done so far. The club didn't even ask Caro or Minde about her, so I guess she was convinced by the thorough pre-work. It will be interesting to see whether she'll win a starting spot. With the players currently there, she should have a fair shot at making it.
It seems Caro Hansen will be fit to face Australia on Saturday night. According to TV2, Norway will start with the same team and formation as against France with Caro in the role of a forward and Sævik on the wing. That's not Caro's best position for sure, and not ideal for Norway either, but Sjögren is afraid her poor defensive workrate will cost too much as a winger against the Matildas. It did against Korea with Reiten on the other side also being exposed. Sævik is better defensively. Norway have had very little rotation on the squad so far. A bunch of players haven't seen a minute on the field yet. I wonder if it's going to be a factor. Expected line-up: --------------------- Isabell Herlovsen --- Caroline Hansen ---------- Guro Reiten --------------------------------------- Karina Sævik ------------------------- Vilde Bøe Risa -- Ingrid Engen Kristine Minde -- Maria Thorisdottir -- Maren Mjelde -- Ingrid Moe Wold ----------------------------------- Ingrid Hjelmseth Also some non WC-related transfer news: Kristine Leine, the central defender from Røa who just missed the cut to the World Cup squad, has signed for the English WSL club Reading.
Mjelde and Thorisdottir are a good match for Kerr. I swear Kerr was unmarked or poorly marked on most if not all her goals against Jamaica, she won't have that luxury today. As worriesome is when De Vanna comes into the game, if Norway don't adjust she'll blow past them 24/7. The teams are pretty evenly matched and it will be interesting to see who on both sides raises their game and who buries their chances. Interesting story on Australia's 18-year old Karly Roestbakken who holds a Norwegian social security number and dual citizenship via her father and spending a year Østerdalen growing up. She debuted in the W League at 15 and when Elise Thorsnes played down under Karly's Dad served her Norwegian ribs for Christmas and brought her brown cheese to training. https://www.vg.no/sport/fotball/i/4qxzeV/australia-komet-med-norsk-pass-aarhundrets-kamp Even Pellerud scouted them in Grenoble and identified her as a point of attack if she gets a start. That would be part of the territory of being 18. Be interesting to see the officials. There have been some way over their heads from places where the women's game is very amateur. Hopefully they've been filtered out for the knockout stage. And what's been odd with the weaker officials is calls being made by VAR based on millimetres when the calls in the middle of the field and cards given are often so wrong and random that the combination is surreal. The women's game IS different than the men's game. You can't compare them. But refereeing is more gender-neutral. I often wonder how the players feel when getting undeserved cards and calls. Would they rather just have referees meet a standard?
The tournament summer is far from over for Norway. The U19 European Championship begins in Scotland, 16 July. I have high hopes for this team. Too bad the midfield maestro Thea Bjelde is out with a knee-injury, but we should have a strong team anyway. Getting to a semi-final means qualification to the U20 World Cup in 2020. That should be a big goal for our group of players. Coach Nils Lexerød has selected the following squad: GOALKEEPERS Karen Sneve - Lyn Hanne Larsen - Medkila DEFENDERS Vilde Birkeli - Røa Elisabeth Terland - Klepp Sara Hørte - Kolbotn Joanna Bækkelund - Lyn Malin Sunde - Trondheims-Ørn My Haugland Sørsdahl - Kolbotn Marthine Østenstad - Klepp MIDFIELDERS Emilie Bragstad - Trondheims-Ørn Julie Blakstad - Fart Rikke Nygard - Arna-Bjørnar Elin Åhgren Sørum - Trondheims-Ørn Olaug Tvedten - Avaldsnes Ragne Svastuen - Røa FORWARDS Runa Lillegård - Lyn Celin Bizet Ildhushøy - Vålerenga Matilde Alsaker Rogde - Klepp Jenny Røsholm Olsen - Lyn Anna Jøsendal - Avaldsnes My four players to watch list would include: Elisabeth Terland, Rikke Nygard, Olaug Tvedten and Runa Lillegård. Match schedule 16 Jul: Netherlands – Norway (17.00, Firhill Stadium, Glasgow) 19 Jul: Scotland – Norway (19.15, Firhill Stadium, Glasgow) 22 Jul: France – Norway (19.15, Firhill Stadium, Glasgow) 25 Jul: Semi-finals 28 Jul: Final
Vålerenga have made two interesting signings these last few days. Serbian international attacking midfielder Dejana Stefanovic comes from Avaldsnes and the forward Rikke Madsen, capped by Denmark this year, comes from VSK Aarhus. Toppserien doesn't start up again until late in July, but LSK Kvinner are set back by the departures of Guro Reiten and Ingrid Engen plus long term injury of Emilie Haavi. May be we could get some drama in the second half of the season after all.