Norway THRASH Scotland

Sorry sorry day for me Norway beat Scotland 4 - 0 in Norway last night. Please lock this thread as soon as possible....


Scotland's World Cup dream was left on a knife edge
after they suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of an Egil
Olsen-inspired Norway.Gary Caldwell was sent off after 33 minutes and John Arne Riise scored from the resulting deflected free-kick. Morten Gamst Pedersen drove in the second on the stroke of half-time. Erik
Huseklepp turned in the third and Pedersen fired in a free-kick as
coach Olsen's Norway revived their chances of reaching the play-offs
from Group Nine. Defeat means Scotland will
probably now need to win their two remaining matches, at home to
Macedonia and group winners Netherlands, to make those matches as one
of the best-placed runners-up. Scotland manager George Burley
had made some brave selection decisions, preferring Kenny Miller to
talisman James McFadden up front and choosing Graham Alexander ahead of
Paul Hartley as the holding midfielder. Norway might have started the match bottom of Group Nine, but they now had their own national hero Olsen in charge.








Burley insists qualification still on






The coach had not lost a home match in charge of Norway for 18 years
and led his side to victory in Germany in his first game back in
charge. And, having sprung a surprise of his own by preferring
Huseklepp to former Tottenham striker Stefan Iversen up front, his side
started as he promised, being positive and lumping high balls to strike
partner John Carew. But the Scots settled quickly and started
to take control of the game, a moment of nervousness presenting the
visitors with the first chance of the game. A mis-hit clearance fell to Darren Fletcher, but the new Scotland captain fired well over from a difficult angle. Another
piece of poor control by Kjetil Waehler presented Miller with a chance
in the six-yard box, but the Norway defender recovered in time to
block. However, the warning signs for the Scottish defence came
when Steven Caldwell was lucky not to concede a penalty for a
27th-minute lunge that felled Carew.

Caldwell was sent off for two quick, first-half yellow cards

Six minutes later, and only seconds after Gary Caldwell had picked
up a booking for a tackle on Pedersen, he was dramatically sent off
when referee Hamar adjudged him to have fouled Carew 30 yards from
goal. Scotland's misery was compounded when Norway defender
John Arne Riise rifled the free-kick past Marshall with the help of a
huge deflection off Scott Brown. Burley immediately replaced Ross McCormack with Christophe Berra in an attempt to shore up his defence. But,
on the stroke of half-time, Bjorn Helge Riise set up Pedersen, who
guided his left-footed shot from 16 yards past the helpless David
Marshall. Marshall, who was preferred in goal to Neil Alexander
in the absence of Craig Gordon, made a good save at the feet of Carew
moments into the second half. A bad day for the Caldwells was
complete when brother Steven, also carrying a yellow card for pulling
Carew's jersey, was replaced with McFadden moments after tempting fate
with a foul on Pedersen. The Scots momentarily looked like they
might stage an unlikely revival, but Carew killed them off when he
turned inside makeshift centre-half Alan Hutton, his shot struck both
posts and Huseklepp turned the ball into the waiting net after 60
minutes. It ought to have been four when an effort from Carew
struck the underside of the crossbar and appeared to cross the line
only to escape the eyes of the officials. But Norway did add to
their tally when Pedersen curled in a superb, in disputed, free-kick in
the dying seconds as the Scots slipped to third in the table behind
Macedonia on goal difference. Norway:
Knudsen, Hogli, Waehler, Hangeland, John Arne Riise, Bjorn Helge Riise
(Skjelbred 84), Grindheim, Pedersen, Hoseth, Carew (Helstad 84),
Huseklepp (Iversen 76).
Subs Not Used: Jarstein, Reginiussen, Winsnes, Brenne. Booked: Carew, Hoseth, John Arne Riise. Goals: John Arne Riise 35, Pedersen 45, Huseklepp 60, Pedersen 90. Scotland:
Marshall, Hutton, Davidson, Steven Caldwell (McFadden 48), Gary
Caldwell, Graham Alexander, Darren Fletcher, Commons, Brown, Miller,
McCormack (Berra 37), Berra (Whittaker 78).
Subs Not Used: Neil Alexander, Hartley, Maloney, Steven Fletcher. Sent Off: Gary Caldwell (34). Booked: Gary Caldwell, Steven Caldwell. Att: 24,083 Ref: Alain Hamar

From a Norwegian: THEY GOT LUCKY!

Every dog has it's day!

What i saw, Scotland were very lucky it was only four!!!

Wow, if Scotland were lucky they must be very bad/pathetic... I thought Norway were bad,,, 4-0.... How does that feel???

Well, guess neither team is going to the world cup!