NEW YORK (AP) — Roberto Martínez knows that in his younger days coaching at the World Cup, he would have placed a high priority on his team finishing first in its group.
“You sit down and you are so inexperienced, you want to plan everything,” Martinez said.
Now in his third World Cup and first with Portugal, he has realized those plans do not always materialize — and he is not alone. Norway's Ståle Solbakken also put a priority on rest and avoiding
injuries to key players rather than going all-out to win Group I on Friday, which would have taken beating tournament favorite France.
Without standout striker Erling Haaland and nine other starters in the lineup, Norway lost 4-1 but with no coaching regrets about load management now that the knockout stage has arrived and with a Round of 32 game against Ivory Coast on Tuesday.
“The break that we had from the last game to this game is the shortest of any team, and we have another match in just a couple of days, so it’s a no-brainer,” Solbakken said. “Fans around Norway and also in the arena would have liked to see Erling, but that is not really the issue here. We want to proceed as long as we can here in the tournament, so that’s what we focus on.”
The loss sends Norway to Arlington, Texas, to face Ivory Coast, in a bracket with the winner of Brazil versus Japan up next in the Round of 16. Unbeaten France is set to play the same day in East Rutherford, New Jersey, against an opponent — likely Sweden — to be determined, followed by a potential showdown against European rival Germany.
Solbakken thinks his team will be better off than if top players were tired.
“We have a strong squad,” Solbakken said. “We have energy. We have good opportunities. Our players have enjoyed an extra day of rest.”
France went with its regular lineup, and the result was a first-half hat trick by Ousmane Dembélé on the way to the convincing win. Assistant coach Guy Stéphan understood what Solbakken was thinking and, as a result, was not surprised by Norway's lineup with an eye toward the future.
“We will see the result in four days,” Stéphan said after filling in for Didier Deschamps, who returned to France for his mother's funeral.
Martinez, who coached Belgium at the World Cup in 2018 and ’22, wants Portugal to beat Colombia in the teams' Group K finale on Saturday, though it was not clear exactly how he would he approach his lineup. Portugal is all but certainly assured a spot in the Round of 32.
“I believe that the focus should be trying to win every game, trying to create the best possible atmosphere in your dressing room, forget about the opponent,” Martinez said. “Respect the opponent, but if you want to do well in the tournament, you have to be able to beat everybody and anybody.”
Colombia coach Néstor Lorenzo did not want to leave anything to chance. Asked whether he had a preference for being first or second in the group, Lorenzo said: “Depending on your position, you play against one team or another. Some think that maybe you could meet a tougher opponent later on.”
Going into the World Cup, Spain's Luis de la Fuente downplayed the standings, and his thinking has not changed.
“I believe that to reach the final you have to play against all the great teams, and it will always be difficult,” de la Fuente said. “I can’t approach a match thinking about winning, losing or drawing. I only know how to prepare to win, win and win. It’s always about trying to be better.”
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AP Sports Writers Alanis Thames in Miami Gardens, Florida, Kyle Hightower in Foxborough, Massachusetts, and Tales Azzoni in Guadalajara, Mexico, contributed to this report.
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See more of AP’s World Cup coverage here
