Solbakken: Norway must play the match, not the circumstances against Brazil

Stale Solbakken urged his Norway team to play the match, not the circumstances in their World Cup showdown with Brazil at New York New Jersey Stadium. 

This will be Norway’s second knockout game of the World Cup, having only played two knockout matches in major tournaments in their history before their run in North America. 

And they come up against a nation in Brazil that has progressed from nine of their last 10 matches in the last 16 round of the World Cup, only failing to do so in 1990 when they were beaten 1-0 by Argentina. 

But Norway arrive into the match with confidence, having beaten Ivory Coast 2-1 for their first knockout victory at the World Cup thanks to Erling Haaland’s 86th-minute winner. 

“We need to play the match, not the circumstances. We need to make sure that we don’t ​play according to the occasion, but that we simply play the game,” Solbakken said. 

Solbakken highlighted the importance of Haaland for his team should they have a chance against Brazil, with the Manchester City striker netting five goals at the tournament. 

Haaland could become just the eighth European player to score in each of his first four World Cup appearances, and first since Christian Vieiri for Italy in 1998. He has scored in each of his last 13 competitive internationals overall, netting 25 goals in this run.

“I think we have ‌found ⁠ways of supporting him and giving him the right service,” the Norway boss said.

“We are a team that can’t wait for Brazil because we are an offensive-minded team.

“During 90 minutes or 120 minutes against Brazil, you need to defend for longer or shorter periods, and then we have to be at our best there.”

But along with highlighting the importance of Haaland to his side, Solbakken was also wary of Brazil’s attacking threats, most notably Vinicius Junior. 

Vinicius has four goals and one assist in four appearances at this year’s World Cup. 

“The left and right backs are important, but it’s also about helping ​the wing-backs so that they are not faced in a one-to-one situation, situations where you need to stand ​up and do it alone,” Solbakken added on how to stop the Real Madrid star. 

“We also hope that our zone style of play may help, so regardless of who plays in the back positions, they will be supported by the next ​player.”

Brazil have, however, averaged 15.0 shots-per-game at the World Cup (60 shots in four games), their second-lowest on record (from 1966) at a single edition, ahead of only 1998 (14.4). However, their xG-per-shot is their highest on record in this time (0.16), suggesting the average quality of their chances is higher.

This will be the fifth meeting between the two nations in all competitions, and second at the World Cup, after a 2-1 Norway win in 1998, and Solbakken is optimistic his team can repeat the feat, but only if they are at their very best. 

“I don’t think they are big, big, big favourites, which they maybe had been some years ago,” Solbakken said.

“We have had a very good run for a very long time, and ​we have ⁠great confidence, and we have a good style of play with the ball as well, and I think that helps us. 

“I think it’s difficult to put a precise percentage [on our chances], if it’s 60-40, ⁠or 70-30 ​or whatever – the important thing is that we can hurt ​Brazil on our day, but we still need to be our very, very best, otherwise we have no chance. But if ​we are at our very, very best, then we have a chance.”