Updated 12.24 | Published 12.17
OSLO. The temperature before the training match between Norway and Sweden rises.
At the press conference in Oslo the day before the match, Jörgen Strand Larsen did not hold back.
– Beating little brother had felt very good, says Strand Larsen.
The training match between Norway and Sweden at Ullevål is approaching. When Norway held their press conference the day before the match, Crystal Palace striker Jörgen Strand Larsen sat on the podium and did nothing to dampen emotions ahead of the Nordic derby.
The striker began by mocking the Swedish players’ answer that they can win the World Cup.
– Surely Sweden will win the WC? So it will be tough for us… But it is a derby against Sweden and it will be a lot of fun. I have never played that at A level. But we are at home when we play the match, we will of course win the match and we will go further than Sweden in the WC, there is no doubt about that. We are looking forward to the game tomorrow. Ullevål will be full of knots, says Strand Larsen.
How risky is it to play a derby so close to a World Cup?
– Nah, it will be hot of course. We know what’s at stake. Although it is a practice match, both teams want to win this match quite a lot. But I don’t think it will be completely crazy because we both have a World Cup to think about, there probably won’t be any insane pig fights, says Strand Larsen but then ends his reasoning by stating:
– I hope that it will be an intense match, I expect that in a derby between Norway and Sweden it will be pretty good. We are ready for it but we will not throw ourselves into any tackles and risk a World Cup.
“We don’t care what Sweden is doing”
The match against Sweden will be the only training match before the World Cup that Norway will play at home. Norway has chosen to play its last training match on site in the USA.
– Having a good feeling before the WC is important. We will play two practice matches before the WC but beating little brother would have been very good, that is what we are betting on. It will be an insanely fun match.
The Norwegian striker had no idea that Sweden could make it to the WC despite the poor group stage and was surprised that there was another chance for Sweden. That is why Strand Larsen is also surprised by the Swedish self-confidence.
– You must have more than two points in the group to progress in any case. I’m just kidding. I’m not that interested in what Sweden is doing, we should focus on ourselves. We have a very tough group in the WC, we are in the WC for the first time in a long time, so we are very happy. The match tomorrow will be fun, but we don’t care what Sweden is really doing, says Strand Larsen.
A Nordic derby was played in the ongoing hockey World Cup where Norway took a historic victory over Tre Kronor with 3–2. When Strand Larsen has to come up with a sport where Sweden is better than Norway right now, the answer was.
– Sweden is just better at table tennis, says the Norwegian with a smile.
Norway-Sweden will be played on Monday 1 June at 19:00
