Norway manager expects team to 'step up' against 'powerful' Ivory Coast in round of 32
ARLINGTON, TX — Norway manager Ståle Solbakken knows that there is no justification if his team falls short in a round of 32 match with the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, June 30.
Given the chance to beat France to win the group, Solbakken made 10 changes to his lineup and rested stars like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard. Norway had conceded a hat trick to Ousmane Dembélé within a half-hour and fell 4-1, finishing second and setting up this showdown with the West African power.
While he said his team played the way it hoped to in the opening stage, getting out of the group for just the second time in the country’s history, he expects more from his team in the knockout phase.
“We probably need to step up a bit even though the Senegal match apart from the last 10-15 minutes, for us, was a perfect game. We’re well-prepared, we’ve done what we’re supposed to do, the guys are happy,” Solbakken said. “We played games until late last night, everybody’s in a good mood, physically and mentally. We have no excuses.”
Ivory Coast manager Emerse Fae said whether or not Solbakken was wise to rest his team and fall into this matchup with Les Elephants or not is difficult to say. After all, the 42-year-old said, whether or not the decision is viewed as the right one depends on results.
“In soccer, there’s no truth. I mean, you could have your team and win three group games, you could then lose directly in the knockouts,” he said through a translator. “We’ll see what happens tomorrow and see if it was a good decision for the coach to adjust his team for the last game against France. They’ve got 26 players, he gave the opportunity to every player and I believe it’s good for the group, but we’ll see tomorrow if he was right or not.”
Solbakken is hardly expecting an easy match. To get that extra bit out of his team, he will need not just star forward Erling Haaland to deliver but to also get great performances from the midfield.
“First of all, we have to match their physicality. They are maybe the most powerful team in the tournament,” said Solbakken, himself a former Norway midfielder. “Their center backs, two of the three from midfield, the dynamic they have, they’re a very, very physical team, very. strong.
“That’s the first thing. If we match that then we can keep our identity defensively and offensively. I think it will be a very even tight game that an go either way in terms of who has the match-winner, who has a little bit of luck on their side. I think it will be that close.”
After the narrow results seen in all three of Monday’s round of 32 matches, including Brazil’s one-goal win over Japan that will see the South Americans play the winner of Norway-Ivory Coast, both managers will be hoping the preparation that led them to this point pays off with a place in the next round.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Norway manager expects team to ‘step up’ against ‘powerful’ Ivory Coast in round of 32
