A fast start saw Norway take the lead in the fourth minute before Iceland pegged them back four minutes later, the game a hard-fought contest for both.

Quick fire

Norway’s first chance of the game came inside of the first minute after Lisa-Marie Utland had won a corner, Sandra Sigurðardóttir’s parry not the most convincing but it cleared the initial danger before the ref blew up for obstruction. Back with the ball Iceland could do little as a ball over the top found Utland, her first touch poor to take it away from her but that was no worry for the Football Girls as Ada Hegerberg picked up the loose ball before firing beyond Sigurðardóttir. The Norwegians had drawn first blood in less than five minutes.

It was clear both sides wanted to play attacking football, blue and white keen to press each other, Iceland lacking the required penetration in the opening minutes, and Sigurðardóttir back in action to tip Ingrid Spord’s driven effort clear. The chances were coming thick and fast as the ball was turned over from one end of the pitch to the other, Iceland needing little more than four minutes to restore parity through Gunnhildur Jónsdóttir as they got numbers in the box.

The frantic and frenzied nature of the game held, with both looking like they had to find a winner in a cup final, the open style and willingness to attack cutting in both directions, defences at both ends tested. The third goal loomed heavy and Norway should have regained the lead when Ingrid Wold picked up Ingvild Isaksen’s through ball before flashing it across goal with two white shirts to pounce. Yet the chance passed with both Grasshoppers caught on their heels, no connection to retake the lead.

Play stalls

A bad injury to Sandra Jessen forced the Þór/KA woman off and unsettled both sides momentarily before they once again began to charge at each other, Norway the side with more bite. Working overtime in midfield and attack, Ada Hegerberg drove her side on as they rallied and once more began playing as one. With less of the ball it was harder for Iceland to make their presence known, Elin Jensen and Katrín Ásbjörnsdóttir doing their best to create but the two were just out of alignment; passes smart but not successful. 

Half-time arrived all too quickly, especially for Iceland who had the ball in the final third and were moments away from letting fly. The ball recycled time and again throughout the first 45 minutes, attack verus attack as Norway exerted themselves, their attacks holding more water than Iceland’s. Those in blue wiling to match Norway every step they could, and with nothing to separate the two on the scoresheet at the half-way point the second-half promised more of the same.

Open as ever

After handling just outside of her box, Sigurðardóttir redeemed herself well by grasping Hegerberg’s direct free kick, the fans with barely any time to draw pause after the restart.

It didn’t take long for the two to fall back into the rhythm from the first-half, both keen and open in attack. The pace had lulled, the first-half too fast for both sets of players to sustain, the second-half slower but played at the same tempo, attack taking on attack, the midfield getting bogged down. Clear room in both boxes a problem for both blue and white, bark without the bite.

The game slowed once more when the sprinklers unfathomably came on and everyone had to huddle in the middle of the pitch to avoid the shower, but once more the two went back to slugging it out, legs undoubtedly heavy.

A goal looked certain ten minutes from time when Caroline Graham Hansen left her marker for dust, her lay-off perfect for Kristine Minde, the attacker’s shot low shot enough to beat Sigurðardóttir but not the post. It was then Iceland’s turn to have a strong chance with a free kick just to the right of the box but Hallbera Gísladóttir’s gamble that the wall would jump didn’t pay off as the shot bounced off of a pair of boots and away from the danger zone.

The match swinging like a pendulum as Ada Hegerberg saw two close-range shots blocked for corners in quick succession. The corners came thick and fast for the Football Girls but whether sent to the near or far post, crossed first time or taken short the hosts could get not change out of their opposition.

No matter how the two came at each other, the winning goal just wasn’t there, no matter who or how they tried to beat a keeper the ball refused to be a good enough one to beat either and the two were forced to play out an unexpected draw. The third in their history.  

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About the author
Sophie Lawson
Neutral football fan travelling around Europe, covering matches and bothering footballers for interviews