Norway struggle to restore harmony after Graham Hansen spat

Norway's Caroline Graham Hansen may have apologised for her outburst over being dropped by coach Hege Riise for their World Cup clash with Switzerland on Monday, but there is still work to do if they are to restore harmony before their final group game.

The Norwegians must beat the Philippines in their final Group A game on Sunday to have a chance to progress and face the challenge of balancing the Scandinavian desire for a strong collective with the individual brilliance of some players.

In her incendiary post-match comments, 28-year-old Graham Hansen blamed the Scandinavian "Law Of Jante" - never think you're better than anyone else - for the decision to leave her on the bench for the scoreless draw with the Swiss.

The Barcelona player apologised the next day but the problem for Riise is that many of Graham Hansen's team mates sympathise with the winger even if they don't agree with her decision to air her grievances publicly.

"Of course you are disappointed not to be starting a game at the World Cup. It's only natural that she and I would feel that way," midfielder Ingrid Syrstad Engen, who was also dropped for the match, told reporters on Thursday.

"I don't know if I was surprised by the reaction (of Graham Hansen), I understand that you can be disappointed in such a situation ... Caro has said that it shouldn't have come out in the way it did, and that it is also about other things."

Graham Hansen and Engen won the Champions League last month with Barcelona and, while Engen struggled as the lone defensive midfielder in their opening 1-0 loss to New Zealand, Graham Hansen is one of the best attacking players in the world, making the decision to drop her all the more strange.

Norway's previous team motto of "sterkere