Norway beat Sweden as Smith's debut turns sour

Sweden fall to Norway, Smith debut turns sour

Norway beat Sweden in their final World Cup warm-up match Saturday. The scoreline isn't the whole story, the real talking point is Eric Smith, who made his international debut for Sweden against the country he was born in. Smith pulled no punches afterward, calling it "probably the worst game I've played in my career" (1). For Ståle Solbakken, it's a win that builds some momentum heading into the tournament, even if Sweden offered limited resistance.

How good is this Norway side, really?

With the World Cup around the corner, one question keeps coming up: is this team better than the Norway side that famously beat Brazil? The answer might surprise you (2). What's clear is that Ødegaard remains the engine, everything creative runs through him, and Solbakken still needs to solve the defensive issues that Morocco exposed. The pressing is electric in bursts, but sustaining it over 90 minutes against tournament-level opponents is the real test.