– It has been a bit small, a little sick and a little different spread out. It creates a little anxiety that someone may get sick. We did well and got through, says national team manager Leif Gunnar Smerud to news. He will not comment on who or how many were ill before the important European Championship qualifier against Finland. Smerud’s team still managed to get points away against Finland and has good opportunities to get to the European Championships. – It is an unbelievably strong achievement from the boys. It cost a lot, and we have had a number of illnesses that seem to be a bit behind. It was heavy for a while, but rose very high. They play an adult match and win very deservedly, says Smerud. Substitute, scoring hero Norway struggled for a long time to break down the Finns, but then Emil Konradsen Ceïde kept up with some football magic. Ceïde sent Norway in the lead from the left wing after he pulled into the field and put the ball in the corner. – He is looking for openings with the dance steps on the left. Now he has come in straight towards the goal. He just puts it in the corner in a perfect way, said VG’s commentator Vegard Aulstad. DOMINANT: Ceïde was once again central to Norway’s U21 team. Photo: Annika Byrde / NTB 70 minutes into the match, Norway made a tactical change and sent Norway’s first goal scorer Ceïde out. In came left-back Fredrik Oppegård. The defender eventually became the great hero who sent Norway a big step towards the European Championships. SATISFIED: National team manager Leif Gunnar Smerud thinks Norway won deservedly. Photo: VEGARD WIVESTAD GRØTT / BILDBYRÅN – When there is so much at stake, you were nervous. But they were well organized, and they gained more strength in the second half. Finland was under pressure and they had to win. So we thought if we stand by the storm, we will win, says the national team manager. The last time Norway’s U21 national team participated in a European Championship was back in 2013. Busy for the goalkeepers After five minutes, Jørgen Strand Larsen tried a shot that made the home crowd wake up. From 25 meters it narrowed from Larsen. The Finnish goalkeeper had to go out in full force and had the ball knocked out to a corner kick. 20 minutes later, Norway was once again close to scoring. Ceïde took the lead in a Norwegian counterattack before Johan Hove finally got his foot shot tested. The Godset player with full force from 20 meters, but the Finnish goalkeeper had to knock it out to throw. BUSY: Norway’s last defense Kristoffer Klaesson had several good saves. Photo: VEGARD WIVESTAD GRØTT / BILDBYRÅN Towards the end of the first half, Norway’s last defense got it busier. First, Kristoffer Klaesson threw himself over the ball after a chance for the home team. A few minutes later he kept up with a huge save after a Finnish heading. At the start of the second half, Klaesson once again became central to Norway keeping a clean sheet. – He’s in the right place at the right time. Kudos to him for positioning himself correctly, said Aulstad. Hope for EC place In advance, Norway knew that victory in the last two matches would hold to EC place. On Tuesday, the decisive match in the European Championship qualifiers against Azerbaijan awaits at Marienlyst Stadium. – I do not take anything in advance. We have a job to do and we have to do the job on Tuesday, and we start with that now. We must do a good job. We are by no means in the European Championships yet, says Smerud. The nine group winners and the best second place (not including results against sixth-placed teams) go directly to the European Championships. The eight second places go to the playoffs for the last four European Championship places in a settlement over two matches. In Norway’s group, six teams have fought for a qualifying place, but only Norway and Croatia in theory still have the opportunity to become group winners.
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Reveals illness in the team before the battle of fate:
