FRANCE 98 – General Media News Template

Norway coach Egil Olsen on Tuesday named seven players from the English Premiership in his side for Wednesday’s opening Group A match against Morocco.

Chelsea star Tore Andre Flo, tipped to be one of the stars of the tournament, will be the lone striker in a defensive formation of 4-5-1.

There is no Norwegian-based player in the line-up, but all three Manchester United players-defenders Henning Berg and Ronnie Johnsen and striker Ole Solskjaer-will start the evening kick-off game. Solskjaer, an out-and-out centre forward for United, will start wide on the left of a five-man midfield which also includes Liverpool’s Oyvind Leonhardsen. The goalkeeping place and the captain’s arm band go to Frode Grodas, even though the 33-year-old is only the number three choice at his club Tottenham.

To add to the confusion, Grodas wins his place ahead of Espen Baardsen-the number two at Tottenham. ” He is a different player when he pulls on a Norway shirt, “ explained goalkeeping coach Erik Thorsvedt, a veteran of USA ’94.

Norway coach Egil Olsen, who retires at the end of the tournament, believes his current squad is stronger than the one which failed to reach the second round four years ago. ” We are stronger offensively than we were then because a number of quality youngsters have come through, “ he said. ” Defensively I think we are at the same level. “

Norway have often been cruelly referred to as the ‘Wimbledon of international football’-a reference to the English Premiership side whose success was built on physical strength, a never-say-die attitude and limited technical ability. Olsen looked surprised but said he was flattered by a comparison of his side with Holland in 1974 when the Dutch emerged from relative obscurity as one of the great teams in modern times with their special brand of ‘Total Football’.

” If we achieve what that team did then I will be a very happy man, but I think reaching the quarter-finals would be a good achievement for us. “

Norway team v Morocco:

Frode Grodas (Tottenham) – Henning Berg, Ronnie Johnsen (both Manchester United), Dan Eggen (Celtic Vigo), Stig Bjornebye (Liverpool) – Havard Flo (Werder Bremen), Oyvind Leonhardsen (Liverpool), Kjetil Rekdal (Hertha Berlin), Erik Mykland (Panathanaikos), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (Manchester United) – Tore Andre Flo (Chelsea)