France too fast for second-string Norway says coach Solbakken

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts, June 26 : Norway lost possession repeatedly and paid the price against speedy France in their 4-1 loss at the World Cup on Friday but coach Stale Solbakken said his second-string team deserved credit for their fighting spirit as the knockout stage looms.

France striker Ousmane Dembele scored a first-half hat-trick against the Norwegians, with Solbakken resting 10 of their 11 regular starters, including top scorer Erling Haaland, ahead of the Round of 32 next week where they face Ivory Coast.

"It goes very fast when we lose the ball a few times," Solbakken said. "Offensively, we created chances throughout the whole game, so the boys should have credit for that. It was not only in the second half that we created chances, we created big chances."

Striker Jorgen Strand Larsen blew a chance to get Norway back into the game early in the second half when his soft penalty was saved by Mike Maignan. 

"We had four big chances in the first half, so I think we deserve credit for it, but you can't lose the ball in certain areas here, because it goes so fast the other way," Solbakken said.

His team, having finished second in the group on six points, three behind France, will now prepare for their knockout round game against the Africans on June 30 in Dallas.

That was also the reason Solbakken rested so many players, much to the disappointment of fans eager to see Haaland in action.

"Now it's about charging up the batteries - remember that the break we had from the last game is the shortest the team has had in the tournament, and now a new game is coming up in four days," Solbakken said.

"The only argument for not doing what we did (resting 10 players) is that the fans around Norway and here could have seen Erling