Column: Norway needs a big World Cup
Norway had a disastrous Euro 2022, but now under a legendary former player and with a star-studded attack, they can't afford another sub-par summer.
12 months ago, Norway experienced one of their toughest summers, and certainly their most humbling. While Euro 2022 started in the fashion you'd expect from a team that has the attacking riches as Norway, it went downhill in spectacular fashion.
An 8-0 humiliation to England still lives long in the memory for many, whether you're a Lioness or a Grasshopper, or even for those who were neutrals to the spectacle.
Norway, under soon to be doomed head coach Martin Sjøgren, didn't recover and a further 1-0 defeat to Austria saw them out of the European Championships at the group stage.
England has become a familiar foe in their failures over the years and the Lionesses have been responsible for their last two World Cup exists, in 2015 thanks to Lucy Bronze's spectacular effort before a more conventional 3-0 win for Phil Neville's side in France four years ago.
Norway are so often talked up heading into any major tournament because of the talent they have, combined with a stature as former European and World champions, but for whatever reason it hasn't panned out that way since a semi-final run back in 2007.
The NFF plumped for a legend in Hege Riise to get things back on track after Sjøgren's dismissal almost imminently after last summer's shambles. Riise is the nation's top appearance maker, one of their top scorers and one of only a handful of players anywhere in the world who can say they have an Olympic Gold, World Cup and European Championship medal.
Her remit has been to get the squad back on track, and while there have been positive results in the subsequent 12 months, there have been understandable bumps in the road too. Whatever it's been, it's not been short of entertainment. In their last two April friends alone, both saw six goals scored as they succumbed 4-2 to Spain before an enthralling 3-3 draw with Sweden.
That is perhaps the best to expect from Norway at the moment. Their attacking talent matches any country in the world, yet they still lack overall depth and quality in defence, though Riise is at least looking to do away with the square pegs in round holes approach of last summer, with Manchester City's Julie Blakstad returning to a more attacking role compared to having to play left-back and being given a more than tough evening by Beth Mead in Brighton.
Norway have drawn 1-1 with England and 0-0 with France since the Euros and beaten World Cup finalists Netherlands 2-0, but also lost to Scandinavian rivals Denmark and were given a thumping at the hands of Brazil last year.
The inconsistency as Riise gets her feet under the table is understandable, but there will also be a pressure to succeed going into next month's World Cup as Norway have been handed a group they can easily progress from, with anything else leaving more than a shudder to think about.
While fellow Europeans Switzerland are a solid outfit, they lack the overall star quality of Norway while co-hosts New Zealand are on a pain-staking winless run and debutants Philippines will be bringing an inexperienced squad filled with US college students and many who are playing at semi-professional level.
They also arguably have one of the best - if not the best - front fours anywhere in world football right now. Ada Hegerberg returned last summer and is picking up form after returning from injury at club level and ending her sabbatical from the national team, and she will be flanked by the ever brilliant Caroline Graham Hansen and a Guro Reiten who is coming off the best season of her career.
Behind them storming forward from midfield is another player who experienced the best season of their respective career in Arsenal's Frida Maanum, and the four together would send shivers down any defensive shoulders. Behind that, there is quality in Barcelona's Ingrid Engen and Manchester United's Vilde Bøe Risa, although neither come into the tournament with regular game time behind them.
Even if the front four somehow fail to click, there is depth there in AS Roma duo Emilie Haavi who has enjoyed a career renaissance and Sophie Haug who has proven to be a superb impact player for the new Serie A champions this season, plus the likes of Blakstad, Karina Sævik and young in-form Rosenborg striker Anna Jøsendal.
But it is still at the other end where the problems lay, and Riise doesn't quite yet seem to have figured out her back four. While Tuva Hansen, Guro Bergsvand, Anja Sønstevold and Maren Mjelde remain from last summer, Maria Thorisdottir is injured and Blakstad hasn't been used as a defender under the head coach, which has allowed young duo Mathilde Harviken and Sara Hørte to battle for spots, as well as SK Brann's Marit Bratberg Lund.
At the start of her rein, Riise made a preference to start with Sønstevold at right-back and Hansen at left-back, as opposed to the right-back role the now Bayern Munich defender got used in last summer, with either Harviken or Kristine Leine partnering Chelsea's Mjelde.
There have been variations of that ever since, with Hansen regularly switched from left to right and back again, while Riise now seems to have settled on Mjelde and Harviken as her centre-back pairing based on their last two friendlies. If Hansen has been utilised on the right, Lund has played left, and if Hansen has been left then more recently youngster Thea Bjelde got the nod at right-back, and against England last November Riise even tested out a back three.
It didn't go well for Inter's Sønstevold in an unfamiliar left wing-back role as she was sent off and has rarely started since. Riise seems close to working out her best defence and while it may be less experienced, it will hopefully at least feature four defenders, and if they can form a solid foundation there is no reason for this exciting Norwegian team to at least get back on track this summer, even if nobody is expecting miracles at this stage.
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