Solbakken: It's an Honor to Face Ancelotti

Norway's head coach, Ståle Solbakken, shared his expectations for this evening's World Cup Round of 16 clash against Brazil.

"It's a great honor to face Carlo Ancelotti. He is arguably the greatest, with five Champions League trophies and titles in various countries. The way he treats opponents and conducts himself in football is exemplary. It's also fantastic for the sport that he's taken charge of a national team, and indeed, the greatest in world football. This is a huge honor for us, but this evening we must defeat him and Brazil to remain in the tournament. We can overcome the Brazilians if we give 100 percent; otherwise, we stand no chance.

Brazil is still the favorite, but I don't believe they are as overwhelming a favorite as they have been in previous years. But yes, it would be a surprise if Norway won. The team is showing good results, and our playing style helps, but it's difficult to quantify our chances in percentages. Brazil has many excellent players. We need to stop those individual players, but above all, we must stop the Brazilians as a team," the coach stated at his pre-match press conference.