The Norwegians were launched by many as EC outfielders after a fine game in a 4-1 win against Northern Ireland, but England ruthlessly exposed defensive weaknesses and decided everything before half-time. 8-0 was Norway’s worst defeat.

It was also the biggest win (and loss) in European Championship play-off history. Arsenal’s Beth Mead did the most damage with a hat-trick.

– Our hearts are bleeding a little now. We met a very good team, but we played badly. You have to show up, otherwise you will be punished. “We may have disappointed a lot of people today, and we’re not proud of that, but we have to look forward,” said team captain Maren Mjelde.

Norway marred down the left en route to 0-3 in the World Cup quarter-finals three years ago and had plans to avoid that happening again, but failed. Led by Mead, England repeatedly created breakthroughs on that side and went into the break with tennis numbers 6-0 on the board.

England national team manager Sarina Wiegman has been a nightmare for Norway. Just over a year ago, the Netherlands won 7-0 over Norway, until Monday’s record loss to Norway. Norway then lacked many of its best players, but on Monday it was the top Norwegian team that were humiliated at home to Brighton. Wiegman now have 15-0 against Norway in the last two games.

– Everything is in their own hands

The last time Norway met England in the context of the European Championship was an 8-0 win in a qualifying match at Moss, but that was 22 years ago. England’s first win over Norway in the European Championship was brutal revenge for 1-18 in the first six games, and Sjögren’s prediction that it would be a completely different England from the nervous team we saw in the opening match came true.

– It is a great consolation that we still have everything in our own hands. We have to face this defeat before we go after Austria. “I will promise that we will come out significantly better,” Sjögren told NRK.

With a win over Austria at the same track on Friday, Norway will be ready for the quarter-finals, but the Norwegian support apparatus has a duty to regain the trust of a Norwegian team who, after playing with Northern Ireland, are disarmed by England.

– One thing is to lose the match, but to lose in this way is very sad. “It takes pride when you let go of goal after goal,” said Caroline Graham Hansen.

Useless

For the first few minutes, it looked like Norway had a plan that worked. They pushed England back with several long passes, found space to play and kept the hosts from their own half. In the 2019 World Cup quarter-finals, England scored before three minutes into play. This time the white shirts did not approach the Norwegian field until almost ten had been played. But then Maria Thorisdottir was on the wrong side of the duel with Ellen White, and England got a penalty kick. Norway’s strong protests were unsuccessful, and Georgia Stanway hit the ball in a corner.

Sjögren sent the team out onto the pitch in a formation similar to the one he often used last year, where the left-back has the same attacking function as the right-wing, and Guro Reiten will be looking for space on the pitch. But Julie Blakstad often came too high, and Mead found space behind her. Three minutes after the main goal, he rushed forward and hit hard, and Lauren Hemp put his foot on the ball for an empty goal. The flag was flown for offside, but after VAR intervention the goal was approved.

Norway gathered on the pitch after both goals, but found no way to stem the England tide that was now overtaking them. It also doesn’t help to switch to the classic 4-4-2. After half an hour, Thorisdottir tried to draw White at defender, lost the ball and saw the England striker score alone with Guro Pettersen.

surprised

Six minutes later it came 4-0 when Mead nodded unhindered at the post from Hemp, again after a breakthrough down the Norwegian left. After 38 minutes, a defensive error on the home side’s left allowed Mlak to get past it. He beat the home team’s keeper, adding another goal for the visitors. Five minutes before the break, it was Fran Kirby who came on from the right after losing the ball for Norway and White made it 6-0 with a volley at the longest post.

It rocked the Norwegian players who went into the break after a nightmare unrivaled in the history of the women’s national team. Guro Bergsvand came on for Karina Sævik at the break, and Norway made it 5-4-1. The home side worked hard to get through the middle and as a result, had a good chance to pull one back when Alessia Russo tried to lift the ball past goalkeeper Lucy Bronze.

In the 80th minute, Mead completed his hat-trick, and for the first time ever, the Norwegian women’s national team conceded eight goals.