Norway are relishing the role of underdogs ahead of their World Cup quarter-final encounter with England and Stare Solbakken believes they can pull off an upset in Miami
Stahl Solbakken wants to make more history (Image: Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Manager Stale Solbakken believes Norway can beat England, but insists they need to be at their “best” to get through. England are favorites to reach the semi-finals while Norway enjoy their first major tournament in 26 years.
But Norway have already upset Brazil, with Erling Haaland scoring seven goals and fans enjoying a great run under the former Wolves midfielder. Norway coach Solbakken said: “I think deep down the players think they can beat England, but we have to fight as hard as we can, otherwise England will be beaten.”
“I think England are under more pressure than us, but we also put pressure on our performance and I don’t think the players think about the pressure once the game starts. I think that’s something you only talk about before the game.”
“The fans have taken this World Cup with a smile. We’ve had great nights and we’re having fun. It’s been 26 years since we last played in a major tournament, so I think that’s why everyone is seeing this approach.”
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“If you hadn’t played in a World Cup for 28 years, you would never take it for granted to be in the last eight of this tournament.”
Solbakken also admitted that while he believes Erling Haaland and others are more than just versatile players and that Norway have more than just a golden generation, the team is practicing taking penalties.
Solbakken added: “We have prepared quite well for the penalty shootout. We have a good order on the pitch for the penalty shootout, but maybe something will happen during the game that will require us to change the situation.”
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Staal Solbakken leads Norway to the last eight (Image: Koji Watanabe/Getty Images)
“If you look at the shootouts at the World Cup, they were never of high quality and maybe that was the pressure.
“I think this generation is spreading out a bit because we have players who are over 30 or around 30 years old and we also have young players who have not yet reached their peak. I don’t know if it is this generation that is spreading, but it is a credit to the federation and Norway.”
Solbakken also insisted his side are not just a one-man team, just as England are not solely reliant on Harry Kane.
He added: “I think it’s Norway versus England, and we all know that Kane is an England player and Erling is an important player for us. But don’t underestimate a clean sheet because it was so close in the last game against Brazil.”
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