WC qualifier in Oslo, April 30, 1997 ==================================== Norway - Finland 1-1 (0-0) Ullevaal Att: 22 287 0-1 Antti Sumiala (60) 1-1 Ole Gunnar Solskjær (83) Referee: Markus Merk, Germany. Yellow card: Ole Gunnar Solskjær (65), Norway, Jonatan Johansson (75), Finland. Line-ups -------- Norway (4-5-1): Frode Grodås - Henning Berg, Dan Eggen, Ronny Johnsen (Gunnar Halle from 28.), Stig Inge Bjørnebye - Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ståle Solbakken, Kjetil Rekdal, Erik Mykland, Frank Strandli (Jostein Flo from 62.) - Tore André Flo. Finland (4-5-1): Antti Niemi - Jussi Nuorela - Marko Tuomela, Sami Hyypiä (Mika Lehkosuo from 3.), Jukka Koskinen - Mika Nurmela (Janne Mäkelä from 87.), Sami Mahlio, Jari Litmanen, Kari Rissanen, Jonatan Johansson (Joonas Kolkka from 82.) - Antti Sumiala. Match report ------------ Another disappointing evening at Ullevaal. Another away team which only came to defend with 10 men behind the ball. Another home team which after a bright start became more and more static in their efforts to break the opposition down. This is the essence of Wednesday's WC qualifier in Oslo. Norway started much the better side and could have taken the lead after 1 minute when a flick by Solskjær was saved by the keeper on the line (or slightly behind?). The referee waved played on and the game never got the start thatv could have lifted the spectacle. The good Norwegian play lasted for 20 minutes. In that period the balls were played both short to the flanks and long towards the forwards. However, the Finnish defence with keeper Niemi was in excellent form and won much more of the aireal battles than expected. Gradually the Norwegians got more frustrated and there was no longer any variation in their play. Just long punts towards Flo and Strandli. Finland were content at just hoofing the ball out of their penalty area and didn't have a single shot at goal. At half time the score was still 0-0. Both teams had to make center backs substitutions during that half, with Johnsen and Hyypiä unable to continue. In the second half the pattern continued. Instead of playing more to the ground, Norway continued to punt long balls forward in hope of a lucky break through. Why they didn't use the midfield players more, and played more to the feet, when the team after all have more talented forwards than ever before, I don't know. The feeling was that the few times they tried this they looked more dangerous. After 53 minutes Solbakken hit the inside of the post with the ball rolling along the line and out to safety. Then, after an hour Finland took the lead on their first attack of the game. The Norwegian defence failed to put Sumiala offside and with keeper Grodås in no-man's land, the Finnish forward executed a perfect lob over him and into the open goal. This obviously came as a big shock to the home side and crowd, and some of the fans started shouting at Grodås as they held him responsible for the goal, and not entirely unjustified either. Although, they could have saved their breath to after the game and instead supported the Norwegian team in their efforts to equalize. For the rest of the game Norway continued to press the opposition backwards and should have been awarded a penalty when Solbakken was tripped inside the area. Solskjær then overreacted with a late tackle and was shown the yellow card which means he will miss the next game in Hungary. Then, old hero, Jostein Flo, returned to the side for the ineffectual Strandli, and Norway started to win some balls in the air. Still, the attacks were very predictable and static and Finland were of course just happy to overcrowd their penalty area and hoof the ball away at the first opportunity. It was not a pretty sight for the purists :-) On their only break though, Finland could have made it 2-0, when they shot just outside from a good position. Then, 7 minutes from time, Norway finally broke the deadlock, when Solskjær hit an unstoppable volley from just outside the area which keeper Niemi could only get two fingers to. That goal perserved Norway's unbeaten home run to 24 games and almost 6 years. In injury time the home side could have taken all points when a freekick by Rekdal was saved by Niemi just in front of Solskjær. Generally, this was a disappointing game by Norway. Finland had dome their homework very well, and really knew how to stop the Norwegian aireal bombardment. The home side should definitely have played with more variation and flair, instead of statically punting long balls up field, when it became evident that the Finnish players won more than their fair share of those balls. Norway didn't win the loose balls either, and the movement around the forwards were generally missing except for the first 20 minutes. Of the players, none had a very good game, though goalscorer Solskjær played one of his better games for Norway and looked dangerous throughout, whereas Eggen was the commanding figure in defence. T.A. Flo started brightly but faded in the second half, wheras his partner Strandli did nothing all evening and clearly looked out of form. In midfield, none of the players impressed, but how can they when the ball is constantly played above their head. Bjørnebye had a lousy game at left back, not defensively, but on crosses and corners. Far too often they were inaccurate and wasteful, and the lethal left foot see from so many Liverpool games this season was suspiciously absent. Berg also had a quiet game and chose the forward punt far too often. Halle, who returned for the injured Johnsen played reasonably well at right back to justify his call. In goal Grodås had very little to do, but didn't handle what he had very convincingly. He might be on his way out of the national team, after playing weakly at times for Chelsea too, although thsi was his first really bad game for Norway. In another game Switzerland beat Hungary, which was a result that obviously suited the Norwegians quite well. At "half time" they now lead the table, four points ahead of the Swiss and the Hungarians. 30.04.97 Switzerland - Hungary 1-0 Norway 4 3 1 0 10- 1 10 ------------------------------------- Hungary 4 2 0 2 4- 4 6 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Switzerland 4 2 0 2 4- 4 6 Finland 4 1 1 2 5- 6 4 Azerbaijan 4 1 0 3 2-10 3 08.06.97 Hungary - Norway 08.06.97 Finland - Azerbaijan However, getting something out of the next game in Budapest is vital, as a home win in that game will open the group up once more.