Norway's national team is gaining new players and is looking to form a team that can once again regularly compete in major tournaments like the team from 1994-2000. Three players are in charge of operations: Martin Ødegaard, Erling Haaland and Alexander Sørloth. However, in the second row there are players like Ørjan Nyland, Sevilla's goalkeeper, Jørgen Strand Larsen or Antonio Nusa himself, who had a good game the day before yesterday.
With this, the Norwegians arrived at the Central Stadium in Almaty, a Kazakh province, with the hope of getting off to a good start in this UEFA Nations League . Nothing could be further from the truth, the Nordic team could not go beyond a goalless draw, which is not enough considering all the dynamite they have up front. Even more so, after having missed such glaring opportunities as those we will tell you about in this article.
Alexander Sørloth vs Kazakhstan | Google Imagenes
Alexander Sørloth, uncomfortable
The match started with the usual 4-3-3, with Erling Haaland as centre forward and Alexander Sørloth on the right wing, an unnatural position for Atlético de Madrid's new signing. This right wing position is usually occupied by Oscar Bobb, but his injury meant that the 'Sicario' was the one to play in that position.
Behind these two beasts, there was Martin Ødegaard, who acts as the Norwegian helmsman and is the one who sets the pace of the game. He was indispensable for Mikel Arteta at Arsenal and also for Ståle Solbakken in the national team . As if the level in the centre forward position were not enough, Strand Larsen was waiting for his chance from the bench, almost nothing.
Absolute domination of Norway
The match was as expected, with the Norwegians dominating the game and seeing their chances slip away and their opportunities to get the three points gradually fading away. The Nordics had 19 shots , compared to 4 for the Kazakhs.
The first clear goal-scoring opportunity came around the half-hour mark. Alexander Sørloth controlled the ball on the edge of the six-yard box, turned and found his teammate Felix Horn Myhre. The Norwegian midfielder shot from practically the penalty spot and hit the crossbar, then flew over the Kazakhstan goal.
Myhre's chance | UEFA
The second clearest chance of the match would come in the second half. In the 54th minute , Antonio Nusa got away from his opponent and managed to put a cross in to the far post, but Haaland's shot hit the post. The problem with all this is that if he had let it go through, Alexander Sørloth was right behind him to send the ball into the net.
Sørloth and Haaland, like water and oil
Alexander Sørloth was substituted in the 70th minute by Aron Dønnum , completing a good match in a position that is not his. You only have to look at the two clearest chances of the match to draw two clear conclusions . The first is that Sørloth is a penalty area striker and putting him on the wing is shooting yourself in the foot, and the second is that the line-up with extrems needs to be reconsidered.
The two forwards are in the same position , almost getting in each other's way because they are both pure centre forwards. In addition, this has a secondary effect, which is that the right flank does not pose any threat to the opponent, apart from the fact that it is empty. In fact, in an interview he gave to TV2 recently with the national team, he confirmed that he would not have liked Atlético de Madrid to have signed a forward with his characteristics.
Haaland's chance | UEFA
Does this mean that the two forwards are incompatible? Not at all. What I am saying is that the coach should find another way for them to fit together and not get in each other's way. As they say in these cases, great talents are condemned to understand each other.
Solbakken has a lot of potential in the centre forward position and if he is not channelled well he could become a problem. Now it is up to the coach to identify the line-up that best combines all the potential of three great forwards like those we have mentioned before, without losing balance. Norway cannot afford to miss another major tournament with the players they have in their squad.
