EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Ståle Solbakken knows all about Norway's stunning upset of Brazil during the 1998 World Cup. He was a reserve and watched from the sideline in Marseille as his teammates delivered arguably the biggest victory in men's soccer in the Scandinavian country’s history.
Now coaching the national team, he also knows facing Brazil on Sunday in the round of 16 is much different than that game nearly three decades ago in group play
when his powerhouse opponent had nothing to play for. This time, a spot in the quarterfinals is at stake, and while Solbakken acknowledges it would still be a surprise if Norway knocks off the five-time World Cup champions, it is a realistic possibility in a matchup that is much more evenly matched.
“I still see obviously Brazil is the favorites (but) I don’t think they are big, big, big favorites, which they may be had been some years ago,” Solbakken said Saturday at a news conference ahead of the game. “We still need to be our very, very best. Otherwise, we have no chance. But if we are on our very, very best, then we have a chance.”
The oddsmakers back the 58-year-old's assessment, with Brazil a slight favorite to advance to play the winner of the titanic matchup between Mexico and England on July 11 outside Miami. Seleção has won three in a row since opening the tournament with a draw against Morocco, also at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey.
Norway has a win of its own at the stadium outside New York, defeating Senegal to advance to the knockout round. Brazil coach Carlo Ancelotti called Norway a challenging opponent because of structure, as well as talent.
“They have great players,” Brazil midfielder Bruno Guimarães said through an interpreter. “They are not in the knockout rounds by accident. It’s not that we are not respecting Norway. We just believe in our football. We believe in our country, and we want to continue on this dream."
Standout Norway striker Erling Haaland has five goals at the World Cup, 25 over his past 14 competitive matches internationally and 60 in 53 with the national team. His next challenge is trying to shake Brazil's back line duo of Gabriel Magalhães and Marquinhos that Solbakken called one of the best central defenses around.
“There will certainly be some tough duels between them and Erling,” Solbakken said. “But for me it's more about Brazil against Norway and not that those two against Erling.”
At the other end, Brazil features a dangerous forward trio led by Vinícius Júnior. He and Matheus Cunha have combined for seven goals through four games.
Asked to compare the 6-foot-5, 205-pound Haaland and the 5-foot-9, 170-pounder known as “Viní,” Solbakken said, “One is a machine that you can see the accelerations and the great physique, and the other is more a ballerina that can dance with the ball.”
Guimarães called Haaland one of the best attacking players in the world, in the same stratosphere as England's Harry Kane.
“He is really something else,” Guimarães said. “We have to mark and attack. We do have to attack, but we got to make sure that somebody stays on him because with one ball he can decide the match and we don’t want to let him have it."
Since Norway joined Brazil practicing in New Jersey this week, each team has been subjected to the elements of the heat wave ravaging the East Coast. Solbakken said the temperatures being as high as 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) have meant players are not going at full speed but otherwise shook off the effects.
“It's an incredible heat, but we are still full of energy,” Solbakken said. “This is a group of friends who have spent a lot of time together now, and they are in a great mood. We haven’t noticed the heat at all, actually.”
Guimarães expects the heat to be a factor Sunday, though rain is expected overnight, cooling things down to a high temperature of 85 degrees (29.44 Celsius) and there is a chance of rain and thunderstorms.
Brazil midfielder Lucas Paquetá, who limped off at halftime and exited the round of 32 game against Japan, is not expected to play because of a hamstring injury.
“We do not have anyone else on the team with the same characteristics of Lucas Paquetá, so we'll have to find someone else,” Ancelotti said, while declining to reveal his plan.
Norway defender Julian Ryerson is a candidate to return after leaving early in the game against Senegal on June 22 with injury. He has not played since, and Solbakken similarly was coy about his lineup other than to say to expect Alexander Sørloth and Oscar Bobb to each play at some point.
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