'I celebrated in bed' -- Norway's Solbakken stays grounded after beating Brazil / Photo: MAURO PIMENTEL - AFP
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'I celebrated in bed' -- Norway's Solbakken stays grounded after beating Brazil
Norway coach Stale Solbakken admitted Monday he celebrated his team's historic World Cup win over Brazil by getting tucked up in bed and watching quarter-final opponents England come through a gruelling tie against Mexico.
"I celebrated in bed with a coke and chocolate while watching the game. The rest of the staff was upstairs drinking beer," said Solbakken the day after Norway's stunning 2-1 victory over the five-time World Cup winners in New Jersey.
Erling Haaland's late brace settled the game in Norway's favour and took them through to the quarter-finals for the very first time.
It will be the first competitive meeting of the nations since 1993, when Norway defeated England in Oslo in a qualifier for the following year's World Cup in the United States -- Norway went to that tournament, which is also the last one England missed.
"We have to study England but obviously we have seen them in their previous games in the tournament and they will be a very strong opponent but hopefully it will be a very even and tight game," Solbakken said of Saturday's showdown in Miami.
Haaland is currently the joint-top scorer at this World Cup with seven goals, level with Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi.
The Manchester City striker's goals have come in just four appearances at his first World Cup -- if he scores again in the quarter-finals, he would equal the feat of the late West Germany great Gerd Mueller, who netted in each of his first five World Cup appearances, in 1970.
"I think it is a good comparison with Gerd Mueller even if their bodies are not similar," Solbakken said.
"But he scored all his goals more or less inside the box as well and it says a lot about Erling's quality, and hopefully he can make it five in the game on Saturday," added the coach.
Solbakken played down the potential advantage of Haaland playing his club football in England.
"It doesn't hurt us that he plays there but I don't think that is a big thing for him or for us.
"He plays national games, Champions League games, Premier League games in the same manner."
Besides Haaland, one of the main features of Norway's first appearance at a World Cup since 1998 has been the "Viking Row" celebration of their supporters.
"I hope it is not only the rowing that has got us to the quarter-finals," joked the coach, who has been in charge since 2020.
"But I think it is a fun thing. The players have taken to it and the world has taken to it."
G.Stevens--AMWN
