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Sports / Stars
Gulbrandsen plunders a hat-trick as Norway advances
(Agencies)
Updated: 2007-09-21 19:28
HANGZHOU, China - Star striker Ragnhild Gulbrandsen plundered a hat-trick
as former champions Norway stormed into the women's World Cup
quarter-finals with a 7-2 demolition of already eliminated Ghana Thursday.
Norway's Solveig Gulbrandsen (in red) and Ghana's Florence Okoe fight for
the ball during their Group C soccer match of the 2007 FIFA Women's World
Cup in Hangzhou September 20, 2007. [Reuters]
Gulbrandsen pounced in the 39th minute and added another two after
half-time to become the tournament's top scorer with five goals in three
games, and book the European heavyweights' place in the last eight.
"I'm really surprised. If someone had said that to me before the World
Cup (that she would head the scoring) I wouldn't have believed them," the
30-year-old Gulbrandsen said.
Norway, World Cup champions in 1995, finish top of Group C and now take
on hosts China in the last eight in Wuhan on Sunday.
Coach Bjarne Berntsen credited their win to intensive preparation against
Ghana, and making the most of their chances at goal.
"I think this game we were very effective," said Berntsen, but added that
there was room for improvement.
"It's very important that we improve, though, because I don't think we
played our best football today, we were certainly too casual in defence."
Norway began the bombardment in the fourth minute, Lene Storlokken
chesting down and rifling home after being picked out with a header.
Norway, who needed only to draw to qualify, immediately eased off the
pace and appeared to be coasting at the near-empty Dragon Stadium.
But after shouts of encouragement from goalkeeper Bente Nordby, one of
the best goalkeepers in the game, Gulbrandsen doubled their advantage
with a close-range volley from Siri Nordby's cross.
Captain Ane Stangeland Horpestad kept the scoreboard ticking over with a
sweetly struck penalty on half-time, and after the break 16-year-old
substitute Isabell Herlovsen beat two defenders and slotted home past
keeper Gladys Enti.
Enti was caught out of position for Norway's fifth with Leni Larsen
Kaurin gathering the rebound from her misfired shot and passing for
Gulbrandsen's second.
Gulbrandsen struck again three minutes later, latching onto a free kick
and volleying past a diving Enti. Substitute Lise Klaveness rubbed salt
into the wound, firing home on 69 minutes.
Ghana left with some consolation as captain Adjoa Bayor thumped home a
free-kick on 73 minutes and Florence Okoe coolly converted a penalty with
10 minutes left.
"We have players who are very young and playing for the first time at a
World Cup, so it is all an experience for them," said Ghana coach Isaac
Paha.
Norway finished second in the inaugural 1991 World Cup, won the 1995
edition, came fourth in 1999 and were losing quarter-finalists four years
later.
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