Norway coach Stale Solbakken reflects on historic World Cup win and upcoming match against England
via Punch Nigeria2 min read
Norway coach Stale Solbakken described his low-key celebration after his team's historic 2-1 World Cup victory over Brazil, stating he watched England's match against Mexico in bed with a coke and chocolate. The win, secured by Erling Haaland's late brace, propelled Norway into the quarter-finals for the first time. Solbakken acknowledged England as a strong opponent for their upcoming match in Miami, which will be the first competitive meeting between the nations since 1993. Haaland, with seven goals in four appearances, is currently the joint-top scorer in the tournament, alongside Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi. Solbakken compared Haaland's goal-scoring prowess to Gerd Mueller, noting that Haaland scores most of his goals from inside the box. He downplayed the advantage of Haaland playing club football in England, stating it doesn't significantly impact their national team performance. Solbakken also commented on the popular "Viking Row" celebration by Norwegian supporters, joking that he hopes it's not the only reason they reached the quarter-finals.
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