Only a few Norwegian goalkeepers can be considered the best in the European
top five leagues, as they become the first choice in their clubs.
Norway has already begun their campaign in the
2026 World Cup qualifiers. Erling Haaland and Co did not have much difficulty
in securing their first wins after routing Moldova 5-0 and dismantling Israel
4-2. Such results definitely boost their confidence before taking on their
toughest contender, Italy, in June.
Gli Azzurri have been superior in their head-to-head
record against Norway. They have clinched eight wins and only suffered three defeats in 15 meetings. In fact, Italy was the only team which beat them in
both FIFA World Cup editions, USA 1994 and France 1998.
Thus, Norwegian boss Ståle Solbakken would need all
players to be in their top form to seal their spot in the final round
automatically. Crushing Gianluigi Donnarumma and Co. would be a good start.
Yet, such is definitely not going to be easy as they would strive to avoid a
playoff round. Italy seemed to have negative records when it comes to going
through such a stage. They failed to qualify in the last two World Cup editions
due to this additional round in the qualifiers.
The key men in Solbakken’s side to beat them
would definitely be their frontmen, Erling Haaland and Atletico Madrid’s
Alexander Sorloth, with the skipper, Martin Odegaard, as the playmaker.
However, their goalie, Orjan Nyland, cannot be left out of the spotlight. The
Sevilla man could play an important role between the sticks to keep the clean
sheet against their top rivals in the qualifiers.
He has been the first choice in Ramon Sanchez
Pizjuan in the past two seasons and is likely to continue his impressive form
to help his team finish in the top ten or five and secure one berth in the
continental competition. The former RB Leipzig and Bournemouth man has featured
in 22 games with seven clean sheets in all competitions this season. Such has
made him one of the few Norwegian goalkeepers who has cemented his place as the
number one between the sticks while competing in European major leagues.
Unlike other positions, Norway appears to have
rare shot stoppers thriving in the top leagues. There were several names who
did manage to play for notable teams like Chelsea, Tottenham and Everton. The
likes of Frode Grodas and Espen Baardsen or Thomas Mhyre were once
part of those well-known sides in the Premier League respectively. Yet, they did not exactly
play regularly and mainly served as the second fiddle.
Nevertheless, there have been a few figures who
were able to become the first choice at the top level. Here are those names who
had done the same as Nyland.
Thomas
Gill (MSV Duisburg)
He was probably not as well-known as Frode
Grodas. Yet, he was the first choice in Bundesliga side MSV Duisburg from 1996
to 1998. The former Aab Aalborg man played 90 times in all competitions and
made 27 clean sheets.
Duisburg might have only been a modest side, as
they only finished in the mid-table during his stint, but Gill helped them to
advance to the DFB Pokal final in 1998 before suffering a narrow 2-1 loss to
Bayern in the summit.
The goalie with five international caps also
contributed well in the Intertoto Cup 1997. He even scored one from a penalty in the semifinal while Duisburg clinched a 3-1 win over Dinamo Moscow.
Unfortunately, they lost 2-0 to Auxerre in the final and ended their
continental campaign too early.
Gill then left Germany during the 1998/99 season
to join FC Copenhagen and Scotland’s Ayr United but failed to seal his place in
the lineup. He only made less than 10 appearances in each club. The
Grimstad-born shot-stopper eventually ended his career in Strømsgodset in 2005.
Rune
Jarstein (Hertha Berlin)
He is one of the Norwegian players with long stints in the Bundesliga. Jarstein
signed for Hertha Berlin in 2014 and stayed in the capital for nine years.
During his spell there, he helped them finish fifth and sixth in 2016 and 2017,
respectively.
The former Rosenborg man did not instantly establish himself as the first
choice in Berlin. He had to wait till the 2015/16 season to play regularly. He
kept his place till 2021, when he contracted COVID-19. Sadly, he left his club
after a dispute with the management. Overall, Jarstein featured in 179 games
and made 52 clean sheets for Hertha Berlin.
Unlike Gill, Jarstein was also the number one goalkeeper in the national
team. He earned 72 caps from 2007 to 2021. Yet, he never played in the major
international tournament, as Norway was never able to qualify for either the
FIFA World Cup or the EURO. The 40-year-old goalie is currently still playing
for the Hercules IF, his boyhood club in the Norwegian lower league.
Erik
Thorstvedt (Tottenham)
He is the only Norwegian goalie who played regularly at the top levels for
both his clubs and national team. Thorstvedt was Tottenham’s number one between the
sticks from 1988 to 1994. He helped Spurs snatch their last FA Cup title to
date in 1991 and finish strong in the top five in the 1988/89 and 1989/90
campaigns consecutively.
Overall, the former Gladbach man played in 2019 games with 61 clean sheets
for Tottenham. Unfortunately, he had to hang up his gloves in 1996 at the age
of 34, the golden age for the shot stopper, due to his back injuries.
What made Thorstvedt deserving to earn more respect is that he was the first
Norwegian goalie who appeared in a FIFA World Cup final round. In the USA 1994, he contributed well in all three games, with more clinical saves in the
first two matches. Unfortunately, Norway failed to go through despite securing
four points from a win over Mexico and a draw against Ireland. Their goals were
the worst compared to the other three teams, resulting in them sitting at the
bottom of the table at the group stage.
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