Stale Solbakken admits Norway's World Cup quarter-final will be decided by strikers

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/haaland-erling/UmV9iQmE/"]Haaland[/a] has struck seven times in his first four appearances at a major tournament to fire [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/norway/8rP6JO0H/"]Norway[/a] to the last eight for the first time on their return to the World Cup after a 28-year absence.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kane-harry/v5HSlEAa/"]Kane[/a] is just one goal behind the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/manchester-city/Wtn9Stg0/"]Manchester City[/a] striker for the tournament after taking his World Cup tally to 14 as he has helped [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/england/j9N9ZNFA/"]England[/a] reach a third consecutive quarter-final.[/p][p]"[b]I think it's Norway versus England but I don't think it is a secret that Kane is the match winner number one for England and Haaland is the match winner number one for us,[/b]" [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/solbakken-stale/pxok8eTM/"]Solbakken[/a] said at his pre-match press conference in Miami.[/p][p]Solbakken's counterpart [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meunier-thomas/WUyrShAL/"]Thomas Tuchel[/a] was recruited by the English Football Association to get a talented generation of players over the line after a series of narrow misses at major tournaments under his predecessor [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/southgate-gareth/t4YlwJ0P/"]Gareth Southgate[/a].[/p][p]By contrast, Norway are in their first major tournament of any kind for 26 years and have exceeded expectations, most notably in stunning 2-1 win against [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/brazil/I9l9aqLq/"]Brazil[/a] thanks to Haaland's late double in the last 16.[/p][p]"[b]Every game has been the most important (in history) for Norwegian football, especially in the knockout rounds, so this is the third time it is the most important game,[/b]" added Solbakken. "[b]I feel the players are in a relaxed but competitive mood.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I think England has more pressure than us, but we also put pressure on our performance. When the game has started I don't think the players think so much about the pressure when it's eleven versus eleven.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="e9a9b06d-2cf0-481a-b480-fe47960d3336" url="https://x.com/nff_landslag/status/2072204348063437024?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Norway's progress has caught the imagination at home and across the Atlantic in the United States.[/p][p]Their fans' Viking row celebration has become one of the iconic images of the tournament, while Haaland's status as a global star has soared thanks to his goalscoring prowess on the pitch and jovial personality off it.[/p][p]"[b]I think the whole of Norway is looking forward to tomorrow. We've had some great nights in this World Cup before and it brings the country together,[/b]" said Solbakken.[/p][p]"[b]Maybe this will never come back to Norway because I think we will qualify more. Every time (now) we have a possibility to go through to a European Championship or a World Cup. But now it's 26 years since we had it last time.[/b]"[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/england-j9N9ZNFA/norway-8rP6JO0H/?mid=UyLHmWuh"]The match in south Florida[/a] could be impacted by brutal heat and humidity that is forecast around the 5:00 pm local time (2100 GMT) kick-off.[/p][p]Miami is currently under a heat advisory from the US National Weather Service with "feels like" temperatures rising beyond 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit).[/p][p]"[b]We have trained very lightly. We haven't done much hard work. We are with the tactical sessions, but in a lower tempo and not trained for long periods. So it's all about being fresh tomorrow,[/b]" said Solbakken, whose side have trained in Miami for the past three days.[/p][p]The two countries, he said, would have to get "[b]used to the same conditions.[/b]"[/p]