ULLEVAAL STADION (VG) (Norway-New Zealand 2-0) After the international match at Ullevaal, it was a strong Guro Reiten who met VG after the shooting in Oslo.
– Well … it depends on one, it does … it’s me is. Some people think I do not deserve to live because of who I am. It’s not a good feeling, it’s not how it should be. I have been asked why we have Pride, we live in Norway, but that is exactly it therefore we have Pride. We have a long way to go. You get scared now, hopefully it will pass with time. I am proud of who I am and I will not hide it because of this, says Reiten.
Reiten herself is queer and says she felt a wide range of emotions over the last 24 hours.
– Of course you get cursed. That someone is willing to go that far is a complete disaster. You feel a little on everything, that you are sad, sad, angry and scared, it is completely inconceivable, really, says Reiten.
Caroline Graham Hansen says she struggled to hold back her tears during the national anthems.
– It was sad to wake up to that news. That it is possible to spread so much hatred when one could talk about love is incomprehensible to me. It was tough on the national anthems to hold back the tears, and so many who still took the trip are incredibly big and strong. Hope those who were here enjoyed themselves in the sun and were surrounded by love and security, she says to VG.
– It was not so important to play football today, I felt. You get thoughtful about what the point of life is when people go and do something that is as incredibly meaningless as what happened last night, Graham Hansen continues.
– It’s terribly sad. It hurts to wake up to such a message today early. Feels very much with the relatives and the whole country really. It has been a sore day, adds team captain Maren Mjelde.
– It puts life in perspective, it certainly does, says the national team’s probably new first goalkeeper Guro Pettersen.
Marked with Pride ribbons
Ada Hegerberg, who provided the first goal of the match, hopes we can find strength together and in unity.
– It is incredibly big for us with so many who came and supported us today. It was to celebrate diversity. I hope we manage to get past such tragic events, says Hegerberg to VG after the match.
The Lyon striker tried with her head and right foot before she finally succeeded with her left leg and sent Norway in the lead in the 34th minute.
It was a well-placed shot from 16 meters, and it was the 26-year-old’s fourth goal in three games after she made a comeback on the national team on April 7.
On a day when the slogan here at Ullevaal Stadium was “Be who you are – love who you want”, Hegerberg chose to lift the Pride bracelet and show heart signs after his goal – in what she calls a “shaky” match.
Clear victory
Norway drove over New Zealand in the penultimate test before the European Championships and won 2-0 after a rush from substitute Guro Bergsvand in overtime.
It was against an opponent who has not won a single match in 2022 on six attempts: 0-1-5 and 2-11 in goal difference.
For Norway, the count was rather poor, and in a fiery Ullevaal stadium, the team also revealed defensive weaknesses – weaknesses that will be punished against better opposition in a European Championship, which Hegerberg also agrees with.
– It will be something else when we come to the European Championships. Do not judge us by the two matches we have now before the championship. Now it’s about fine-tuning details and relationships on the pitch. We will try things out and get security in the team. These are important matches, but it is not about points, says team captain Mjelde.
She has been out for a long time and is in a hurry before the European Championships start against Northern Ireland on 7 July.
Graham Hansen has not gotten the drive she wanted either, but tonight she was recognizable. The break at the end of the season has done the dribble good.
PS! Substitute Lisa Naalsund had to come out with what looked like an overtime overtime.
PS 2! The number of spectators was 12,657. They had hoped in advance to break the record of 15,762 from the year 2000.