Friendly in Helsinki, August 16, 2000
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Finland - Norway 3-1 (1-0)
FinnAir stadium
Att: 10.748
1-0 Jari Litmanen (24)
1-1 Thorstein Helstad (54)
2-1 Litmanen (61)
3-1 Shefki Kuqi (pen. 90)
Referee: Mario van der Ende, Netherlands.
Yellow card: Mika Nurmela (74), Finland.
Red card: Stig Inge Bjørnebye (90), Norway.

Line-ups
--------
Finland (4-5-1): Jussi Jääskeläinen - Aarno Turpeinen, Sami Hyypiä,
Hannu Tihinen, Harri Ylönen - Mika Nurmela (Shefki Kuqi from 75.),
Simo Valakari (Miika Koppinen from 56.), Jari Litmanen (Janne Salli
from 90.), Jarkko Wiss (Aki Riihilahti from 90.), Joonas Kolkka (Janne
Saarinen from 66.) - Mikael Forssell (Mika Kottila from 80.).

Norway (4-5-1): Frode Olsen - André Bergdølmo, Henning Berg (Dan Eggen
from 81.), Bjørn Otto Bragstad (Erik Hoftun from 46.), Stig Inge
Bjørnebye - Thorstein Helstad, Steffen Iversen (Frode Johnsen from
71.), Trond Andersen, Vidar Riseth, John Arne Riise (Tommy Svindal
Larsen from 46.) - John Carew.

Match report 
------------ 
A disasterous game by Norway. Finland was clearly the better side and
deserved their two-goal win. Particularly Litmanen and Forsell were
outstanding. But the Finnish players in general looked more eager and
better on the ball than their opponents.

Norway played without 7-8 regulars due to injuries and that showed.
None of the potensial challengers took their chances, with the
exception of Helstad who scored a fine goal on his debut. Things need
to improve rapidly when the WC 2002 qualifying campaign kicks off in
early September. And it probably will when all the best players are
back. But the lack of depth in the squad was discouraging.