Friendly in Oslo, April 24, 1996
================================
Norway - Spain 0-0
Ullevaal 
Att: 11 898 
Referee: Georg Dardenne, Germany.
Yellow card: Claus Lundekvam, Norway, Javier Manjarin, Spain.

Line-ups
--------
Norway (4-4-2): Frode Grodås - Alf-Inge Håland, Henning Berg, 
Tore Pedersen (Claus Lundekvam from 85.), Stig Inge Bjørnebye 
(Roger Nilsen from 77.) - Petter Rudi, Kjetil Rekdal, Ståle 
Solbakken, Jahn Ivar Jakobsen (Tommy Svindal Larsen from 46.) - 
Jan Øge Fjørtoft (Egil Østenstad from 77.), Ole Gunnar Solskjær.

Spain (4-4-2): Andoni Zubizarreta - Alberto Belsue, Abelardo 
Fernandez, Miguel Angel Nadal, Alberto Ferrer - Javier Manjarin, 
Fernando Hierro (Donato from 53.), Guillermo Amor (Juan Manuel 
Lopez from 53., Jose Molina from 77.), Luis Enrique (Alfonso Perez 
from 53.) - Julen Guerrero (Kiko Narvaez from 53.), Juan Antonio 
Pizzi.


Match report
------------
Another cold evening at Ullevaal, another quality opposing team and another
0-0 draw... However, despite the result the match wasn't boring. Spain
had the upper hand in the first half, when their neat passing and swift
movements on and off the ball left the Norwegian chasing shadows. The
dominance should have brought a goal for the visitors, but poor finishing
let them down. Instead Norway could have taken the lead on half time when
Solskjær's shot hit the post after just having been touched by the Spanish
keeper.

In the second half, though, it was a different matter. Now, Norway were
in command and the Spaniards started to make mistakes. Especially after
a quadruple(!) substitution just after the break, the Latins were under
heavy pressure. Solskjær had a couple of good efforts saved and was unlucky 
not to score, whereas in midfield, Rekdal, Rudi and Solbakken started to 
combine very well. The defense was solid too. However as for the Spaniards
in the first half, there wasn't to be any goals, and in the end a draw was
a fair result.

That Mini (who had an awful game) had been substitued for Svindal Larsen at 
half time and Fjørtoft was later substituted for Østenstad, perhaps 
signalled the end of a couple of old circus horses. With Bohinen and
Leonhardsen (and perhaps Flo) back against Azerbaijan, the "new Norway" 
could be a reality. It was also good to see Tore Pedersen back in the team
after a lenghty absence.