EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey ¨C Norway coach Stale Solbakken paid tribute to his players after an energy-sapping, nerve-jangling 2-1 win over Brazil on Sunday that sent them into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time.
Norway¡¯s rowing celebration ?has become ubiquitous during the tournament, but it had to navigate shark-infested waters against the Brazilians, ?as well ?as survive a late penalty from Neymar deep into stoppage time that could ?have capsized the whole thing.
¡°This is a great group, they love being together, they train well, they help each other and protect each other,¡± Solbakken said. ¡°We have a strong culture, and we give the opportunity to ?let people to be themselves and say whatever they want, and that¡¯s a very important part of the whole ?thing, when things go well and when things go not so well.¡±
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.