– “I won’t comment on it, but I have seen better referees,” Norway coach Leif Gunnar Smerud told NRK.

Because during the game there were several situations that made the experts confused. Carl-Erik Torp believes that:

• Norway should have got a free kick ahead of Portugal’s 1-0 score.
• That the first penalty awarded to Portugal was “cheap”.
• That Portugal should not have received the second penalty which made the score 3-2.

– Not yet assessed properly by the jury. This decision is subject to any criticism. It was poor judgment, Torp clearly said of the referee.

– “It was so cheap, I thought he gave me a free kick,” said Norway goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen.

He almost had a duel which resulted in a penalty, and was then given a yellow card by the referee.

– I went to the referee and asked why there was a penalty. Then he looked frightened and produced a yellow card. “I didn’t really understand what was going on,” he said.

Sonderknust Harviken

Mathilde Harviken caused Norway’s second penalty, the goal sealing a 3-2 win for Portugal. In an interview with NRK, the devastated national team player was forced to wipe his tears.

– It’s heavy. “I feel that individual mistakes on my part contributed to our loss in this match,” said Harviken, who was consoled by Guro Reiten when it was his turn to be interviewed by NRK.

– It’s not his fault. We are a team, no matter what. We conceded three goals and had several chances up front. Everyone has a part in this and it’s not their fault, any more than it is anyone else’s, Reiten said.

– Isn’t it too brutal to blame yourself? asked NRK Harviken.

– Yes, of course, we had a chance and actually there was a lot going both ways. But when you are in a situation like this, it is easy for you to take a lot of blame because of circumstances like this.

Olympic hopes fade

Goalscorer Frida Maanum was also unimpressed with the level of refereeing and called for VAR, which is not used in the women’s national league.

– We talked about the Olympics, which is very important for us players. In such a situation, one would like to have VAR, Maanum said.

– Now I don’t see it anymore, but in the game I experienced it as a glitch. It is clear that if VAR had been used, the results might have been different. It affected the match and the result, said Elisabeth Terland.

Now Norway stands with one point after two matches in the National League. Group leaders France have six. Only one team makes it out of the group and competes for an Olympic ticket. That hope was dashed for Norway, without its players giving up for that reason.

– It’s of course difficult, but we have two games left against France. If we get six points there is still hope, Maanum believes.

To the hospital after a head blow

The match started dramatically when Norwegian striker Sophie Román Haug and Portuguese goalkeeper Ines Pereira chased the same ball.

The goalkeeper first reached the post from Marit Bratberg Lund, but after she boxed, the two players collided. They both lay motionless on the ground and doctors ran to the scene.

– There is a worried facial expression here and we understand it well. We have to be very careful with head injuries, says NRK commentator Christian Nilssen.

Pereira was bandaged around the head with the original “Donald-cool” written on his forehead, and was replaced after just six minutes. Four minutes later, Roman Haug, who was bleeding profusely from his nose, was sent off.

He was sent to the hospital shortly after.

– He received a heavy blow to the face and may have a broken nose and minor cuts. “We felt it was best for him to go to hospital for a small check, but nothing dramatic,” national team doctor Magnus Myntevik told NRK.

– He’s a bit wobbly and “unsteady”, but he’s taking it well, he said of the Liverpool player.

Awesome score by Maanum

Norway’s first goal came in the 32nd minute. Ingrid Syrstad Engen discovered Guro Reiten, who played Frida Maanum. Beautifully, the Arsenal player headed the ball into the far corner.

– Standing still, he thrust it in. This is a national shooting competition, not football. This was unacceptable for a goalkeeper, Torp thought.

But the joy was short-lived for the Norwegian team, because within six minutes the Portuguese team turned things around.

Critical of the referee

Norway confused the defense and Andreia Jacinto took advantage of the opportunity to direct the ball into the corner. However, the situation on the front lines caused a reaction.

Reiten barely cleared the ball before scoring, before he was knocked to the ground.

– Besides, the horse will get tired. Norway probably should have had a free kick there. Silva was late, the referee could have given Norway a free kick, Torp said of the situation.

Even when Portugal scored 2-1, experts believed the referee made a mistake.

Diana Silva fell in a duel with Tuva Hansen and goalkeeper Aurora Mikalsen, and the referee pointed to a penalty.

But replays showed that the Portuguese was not the first to control the ball, and experts believe that it was an orderly duel between the opponents.

– It feels cheap, Torp said.

– This is a strange thing. Silva didn’t really touch the ball. It was Hansen who took Silva, but Mikalsen was booked, said pundit Alexander Schau.

It was a penalty, after all, and although Mikalsen barely stopped his shot, the home team took the lead.

Terland is reduced

The second half was all about fighting back for Norway. And at his peak, Terland continued to be a nuisance to Portugal’s defense.

After 57 minutes, he was played into the back space after a superb through ball from Reiten. However, facing the goalkeeper alone was a bit difficult for Terland, who appeared to be kicking the grass in the final minutes. The goalkeeper made a save, but a minute later the 22 year old player had almost the same opportunity.

Now it was Maanum who found the spot in the back room and this time he went to the opposite corner. The goalkeeper got one-footed at the end, but the ball curved into the net.

– Bad judgment

However, this is Portugal’s day. The reason is, they haven’t finished scoring goals and once again the referee became Torp’s focus.

The home team tried to play Catarina Amado through the Norwegian defense. Mathilde Harviken chased and crashed into the Portuguese’s legs. Amado was still far from the ball’s reach, but the referee pointed to the penalty again.

– Truly extraordinary. I can’t understand it. They met each other with long balls. I think this seems misunderstood. If Amado could have reached that ball, the situation would have been very different, commented Torp.

– Not yet assessed properly by the jury. His decision was beyond doubt. It was poor judgment, he added at the end of the match.

This time Carole Costa’s penalty was solid and Portugal led 3-2 20 minutes before full time. It went on and on, so much so that Norway’s Olympic hopes faded, trailing France by five points after two games.