FOXBORO, MA – Norway fans who were hoping to see their team's top players take the pitch against a powerhouse France team on June 26 were left disappointed.

Norway stars Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard were on the sidelines in Friday's 4-1 loss to France at Boston Stadium. Asked about his decision to keep them on the bench, Norway manager Stale Solbakken called it an easy one to make.

"It was a no-brainer," Solbakken said postgame through a translator, adding that "the only consideration" was the fans wanting them to play.

"They would have wanted to see Erling and Martin, but we are here to proceed as long as we can. It's a no-brainer. This decision was not something that took a lot of time for us to arrive at," he said.

The coach pointed to the quick turnaround from Monday's win over Senegal as a factor in his decision, adding that Haaland and Odegaard were "team players, so they know what is best for the team."

Asked if there was a point in which he considered putting his stars in the game, the coach said it would have been after the last hydration break, if the team was trailing by just one goal. But by then France had extended its lead to 3-1.

Haaland entered Friday in contention for the Golden Boot – the award given to the player with the most goals in the tournament – trailing Argentina's Lionel Messi by one. Messi has five and Haaland is among four players with four.

Asked if he was surprised by Norway's lineup, France's Maxence Lacroix said no.

"I wasn’t surprised. I was just ready – ready to play against any player – because it’s the World Cup. You have to give it 100%, of course," he said

France's Jules Koundé said he was a little surprised by the absence of Haaland and Odegaard, but "at the end of the day we just adapt no matter which player we have in front of us."

Despite the loss, Norway, with six total points, is through to the Round of 32, as is France (with nine total points), as both emerge from Group I. Norway will face the Ivory Coast on Tuesday, June 30, in Dallas, while France will meet Sweden on Tuesday in New York/New Jersey.

The next game in Foxboro will be Monday, June 29, when Germany faces Paraguay in a Round of 32 match at 4:30 p.m.

Source: The Providence Journal