VANCOUVER, June 27 : Norway's Stale Solbakken made no apologies for making 10 changes to his side for their final World Cup group game against France on Friday despite being on the receiving end of a 4-1 thumping. Norway won their first two games and were already guaranteed a spot in the last 32, so Solbakken took the opportunity to give the likes of Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard a day off, as well as handing World Cup debuts to a swathe of his squad. "I have no regrets - quite the opposite. I stand 100 per cent behind the decisions I made," he told reporters the day after the game as his side began their preparations for their last 32 clash with the Ivory Coast. "The only thing I feel bad for is all the fans who were in Boston or sat at home and wanted to see Erling and Martin. I hope what I chose will give us a better experience on Tuesday, and maybe another experience and another experience."
Solbakken had said his side would do their utmost to help Haaland, who has already netted four goals at the tournament, to win the golden boot as top scorer, but the giant striker was left on the bench against France. "It would be completely unreasonable and odd if Haaland had played, then got a strain, you can't win that discussion regardless," the 58-year-old explained, adding that he would continue to make difficult choices if they benefited the team. "My job is to do what I believe deep down is the right thing to do to ensure that Norway goes as far as possible in the World Cup," he said. "I cannot sit on a plane, whether we go home tomorrow or in three weeks, with the feeling that I have not done what I could as the one most responsible for ensuring that Norway goes as far as possible."Solbakken's side take on Ivory Coast in Dallas on Tuesday.
