NEW JERSEY (United States) — Norway coach Stale Solbakken urged his players not to be overawed by the occasion when they face five-time World Cup winners Brazil in the last 16 on Sunday.
It will be the second time the countries have faced each other at a World Cup, with Norway beating Brazil 2-1 in the group stage of the 1998 tournament.
Solbakken said his players must not get caught up in the significance of the match as they seek to reach the quarterfinals for the first time.
“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 match,” Solbakken told reporters in New Jersey.
“Obviously, Brazil is the favourite, but I also said that I don’t think they are big favourites, which they maybe had been some years ago, or two, three, four years ago.
“Now we have had a very good run for a very long time, and we have great confidence,” he added according to AFP.
The Norwegians have never lost to Brazil, recording two wins and two draws in their four previous meetings.
Solbakken joked that Norway had been careful not to schedule friendlies against the Selecao in recent years to preserve that rare unbeaten record.
“You don’t play a team like Brazil very often at all. And it’s right what you say, that they haven’t in the history of the Brazil and Norway history, Brazil haven’t won,” he said.
“But we haven’t played that many games. And we have avoided to play you because we’re allowed to have that statistic.
“So we have said no to all friendlies the last 20 years to avoid playing against Brazil. But now we have to face you.”
Erling Haaland has scored five goals in three matches at the tournament, including a late winner against Ivory Coast that secured Norway’s first victory in a World Cup knockout game.
How the Manchester City striker fares against a Brazil defence marshalled by Arsenal centre-back Gabriel Magalhaes and Paris Saint-Germain captain Marquinhos could go a long way towards determining the outcome.
“He has been enormously good to put the chances away for a long, long time, and scored for fun for a long, long time for us,” said Solbakken.
“There will certainly be some tough duels between them and Erling. But it’s, for me, more about Brazil against Norway and not those two against Erling.”
Solbakken, though, is aware that Norway will likely have to weather spells of sustained pressure from a Brazil attack led by Vinicius Junior.
“We are a team that can’t wait for Brazil, because we are an offensive-minded team,” said Solbakken.
