What if Norway actually win the World Cup? It might sound ridiculous at first, but the Scandinavians’ dream is more alive than ever…
Back in 1998, Tore Andre Flo helped stun Brazil 2-1 in Marseille, earning the legendary nickname ‘Flonaldo’. 28 years later, history has incredibly repeated itself: another 2-1 victory over the Selecao has propelled Norway’s new golden generation, led by Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard, into a historic quarter-final against England.
In this exclusive interview for Flashscore, the former Chelsea striker bridges the gap between two unforgettable eras, discussing Norway’s tactical secrets, the World Cup, the Blues’ past and future and his heartfelt memories of Gianluca Vialli.
Norway are in the quarter-finals of the World Cup, an already historic achievement. Did you expect this on the eve of the tournament?
“I think everybody in Norway expected Norway to do quite well. They have gotten a better and better team over the years and have been very close to qualifying. And now that they finally qualified, I think most people in Norway thought that they could reach the quarter-final. But if they go even further, that would exceed those expectations as well.”
What is the tactical key in coach Stale Solbakken’s system that has allowed your national team to reach this level?
“I think the smart thing he does is to allow the star players to do what they can do best. Like Haaland, he could stay in front of the goal and do his finishing. And then you have wingers who are allowed to take on defenders one by one and get into dangerous areas. In defence, he tightened that up by making it very tight in central areas of the pitch, making it hard for the opposition to get through Norway.”
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Many goals, many convincing matches, except for a resounding 4-1 loss against France. How do you explain that setback?
“I think that for the game against France he changed the whole team. Obviously, France are one of the best teams in the tournament, so that was a difficult game, especially when the star players were not on the pitch. I still think that Norway played a reasonably good game – at 2-1 they nearly had a penalty, and just after that France went up to 3-1. But he changed nine, 10, or 11 players in the starting lineup, so it was a bit natural that it was a tough game.”
In which match have you seen the best version of Norway so far?
“I think maybe against Brazil, with Haaland obviously scoring two goals when he had two chances. And also on the other end, the goalkeeper (Orjan) Nyland did really well. I think that’s what tipped in Norway’s advantage in this game, what they did in the boxes.”
The match against Brazil was perhaps the masterpiece. You also achieved the exact same result in 1998, 2-1 against the Selecao. Incredibly, Brazil have never beaten Norway. How do you explain this?
“Yes, we beat Brazil in ’98 as well, and Norway has never been beaten by Brazil. Brazil has never won against Norway in five games; Norway won three times and two draws. It is a great achievement from Norway and probably the best record in the world. It’s quite amazing.”
Norway can ‘definitely win the whole thing’ Haaland is redefining the prototype of the modern centre-forward. As a former striker, what is your assessment of him? Is there anything he can still improve on?
“He is definitely the prototype of a centre forward. He is so clinical and good at finishing, probably the best finisher in the world. I think he’s not like Messi who can dribble around everywhere, but he’s just a finisher and the best one at it. I’m not sure if I’m going to advise him to start trying to improve on other details; everybody would be really happy if he continues to score goals in the way he does.”
Martin Odegaard has also grown immensely as the playmaker in the middle of the pitch: is he the absolute key player for this Norway team?
“Yeah, he’s a key player for Norway. He’s been that for some years now, captain of Arsenal, and one that is good on the ball. He serves the front players really well and makes key passes to them, so it’s easier for them to get into dangerous areas, also to Haaland and the wingers.”
Next is England – what kind of match are you expecting?
“I expect quite an even game. Obviously England are a very, very good team, but so are Norway. Both of the teams have a very good goalscorer and very good wingers. This could be a very exciting game, but I expect it to be a tough one for both teams.”
If you had to make a prediction, what would it be? And how far can Norway go at this World Cup?
“Well, if they can beat Brazil and if they beat England, they could definitely win the whole thing. They are not the favourites to win it, but there is so much optimism and a lot of confidence. So yeah, I think there is a small chance of Norway winning the World Cup, but you never know.”
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