EXCLUSIVE: Viking coach believes Norway have enough X-factor to reach World Cup quarter-finals

Norway will head into their Group I clash against Senegal with maximum confidence after an impressive 4-1 thrashing of Iraq in their opening game of the World Cup. A victory at MetLife Stadium will virtually guarantee the Norwegians a spot in the round of 32.

Following the win against Iraq, the Scandinavian hype has completely taken over the host city as Norwegian fans have attracted lots of attention across New York by taking over Times Square, subway lines, and launching a massive "Viking Row" flash mob on a Manhattan ferry tour.

The hype isn't set to diminish if Solbakken's men manage to punish the Senegalese rearguard on Tuesday morning. Coach Pape Thiaw highlighted after the France match that defenders failed to aggressively close down ball carriers as opposition midfielders were granted the time and space to split open the defence with easy penetrating passes. 

That could prove fatal against a potent Norwegian attack, where talismanic striker Erling Haaland scored twice against Iraq and now has found the net in 11 consecutive competitive appearances for his country. Morten Jensen also thinks that Norway has the adequate X-factor in the team to go far in the tournament. 

"Big nations like Portugal and Spain have struggled against small nations, and that tells us that football is constantly taking new steps, and it is difficult to find your way through a low and medium block in today's football," says Jensen. 

"Then you need an X ​​factor, both on set pieces, but also individually, in the shape of an Erling Haaland. And I feel that Norway has plenty of that, so that's why I want to give them a fair chance to represent Scandinavia in a very, very good way and get quite far in the tournament."

While the hype around the Norwegian Vikings seems to reach new highs every day, Jensen, in characteristic Scandinavian style, keeps his feet solidly on the ground when asked to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of Solbakken's men.

Historically, the national team has struggled against quick counter-attacks, revealing vulnerabilities in keeping clean sheets against aggressive, pacey opponents.

At the same time, Norway occasionally lacks a creative 'Plan B' to break down low defensive blocks should Haaland, Martin Odegaard, and Antonio Nusa fail to provide the magic.

"It was, of course, a promising result against Iraq, but looking at it objectively, Iraq managed to create too many dangerous positions in our box. We survived them, but we need to step up against big nations like France, otherwise we will get punished. When we get further in the tournament, more questions will be asked of us to find the balance on the side," he admits.

"We already saw before the tournament against Morocco that we were pushed back in a manner we haven't experienced for a long time, and that was just a friendly. So, we have started brightly, but there are definitely improvements to be made."

Norway's presence at the World Cup comes as a reward for their strategic investment in their domestic football ecosystem, as "fruits are being harvested " due to a structural overhaul initiated by the Norwegian Football Federation (NFF) after the national team ended up at the bottom of their qualifying group for the World Cup 2018. 

The Eliteserien today actively prioritises giving young talents a chance to shine over older foreign signings, and the league's reputation has shifted from a physical "long-ball" style to an entertaining, possession-heavy, progressive brand of football, which was also visible in their qualifying campaign.

This means that Norway has caught up to Denmark and Sweden in terms of national team strength and is now aiming to establish itself among the Top European elite.

"We have always looked up to the football culture in Denmark, with the Laudrup brothers, with a very high technical and tactical level. The technical level has improved vastly with Bodo Glimt, Molde, and Viking leading the charge. Before, we were always underdogs when we faced FC Copenhagen and Brondby, but that is no longer the case.

Now we compete on fairly equal terms on the field, even though we are financially still behind. But Norway has taken big steps in the development of young players over a long, long time. And that is what you see the fruits of now," says Morten Jensen.  

The first part of the interview with Morten Jensen was published on Sunday. 

Norway will face Senegal on Tuesday morning at 02:00 CET.