League Prediction: 15th place

Sandefjord (Last year: 8th in Tippligaen)
+ Good defense and goal keeper, Espen Bugge Pettersen is currently third choice as National team keeper behind Knudsen and Jarstein.
+ Could be underestimated by opponents
+ Patrick Walker is a good manager, but will he stay during the whole season?
- Has lost Erik Mjelde, who is going to score from the midfield now?
- Doesn't have a good match winner.
- Small squad



Player to watch:
Ebrima Sohna is a good defensive midfielder, a ball winner and warrior who could be the next Anthony Annan.

League Prediction: 16th place

Kongsvinger (last year: 3rd in Adeccoligaen)

+ Manager Trond Amundsen is an expert at making much out of little material.

+ No-one thinks they will survive in the league, so they'll play without pressure.
+ They play well at home.
+ Has signed the well experienced Thomas Myhre, and the hard-fighting warrior Vidar Riseth.
- Doesn't have any money, and hasn't had the chance to strengthen their squad before the season, except from a few free transfers.
- Hardly any players with experience from Tippeligaen.
- Too few players in the squad
- Has lost their top scorer from last year, Magnus Sylling Olsen.

Player to watch:
Edier Frejd was solid in the qualifying match, and can play in all parts of the defence, is strong and fast.

Rosenborg win the Super Final

Aalesund - Rosenborg 1-3

Kris Stadsgaard and Rade Prica scored in the first half, Trond Olsen scored right after half time.


Rekdal made three substitutions before 60 minutes were played, and the new energy brought Aalesund a goal, scored by Peter Orry Larsen.

However, Khari Stephenson was injured some minutes later, and Aalesund had to play with only 10 players, as they had no substitutions left.

Even though Aalesund came to a couple of chances in the second half, there was never any questions about who was going to win the match between the league- and the cup winner.


Watch the goals and the highlights here.

Update

9 days to the season kicks off. The coldest winter in a long time and the earliest league start ever makes it difficult to be a greenkeeper.



Andreas Nordvik has signed for Vålerenga. The defender played for the Oslo club this fall on loan from Rosenborg, and has now been sold. Good news for Vålerenga, who have been short of central defenders.



Viking and Rosenborg have agreed about a transfer for Rune Jarstein, but Jarstein hasn't desided whether he wants to sign or not.

Rosenborg has been clear on wanting to sell any player who doesn't want to sign a new contract, and Jarstein has said that he won't sign as long as he is not the clear first keeper.

Rosenborg have tried signing Espen Johnsen again as a replacement, but the 30-year-old, has declined, and might be going to Swedish AIK instead, however Johnsen also considers retiring and starting his Doctor internship.

Another possible replacement is believed to be Tromsø's Kenny Stomatopoulus.


Tromsø has signed the Australian National Team back Jade Bronson North.



Tarik Elyounoussi has gone to Lillestrøm on loan from Heerenveen.



Hønefoss has finally scored their first goal in 2010. The newly promoted club scored against Fredrikstad in todays friendly, their 7th match in 2010. Madiou Konate scored the goal.



FC Lyn Oslo have changed their name to FK Lyn. The members finally realized they live in Norway, and will now support Fotballklubben Lyn
.

Norway beat Slovakia 0-1 in the friendly match yesterday. Morten Moldskred scored the goal.
Erik Huseklepp(to the right) was the best player. Despite only playing the last 30 minutes, he managed to create and come to several changes.

Knut Olav Rindarøy (Molde), Vadim Demidov and Morten Moldskred(Rosenborg) have been included in Egil Olsen's squad for the match against Slovakia next wednesday.

PS: Check out this goal scored by Baye Djibi Fall in the match between FC Midtjylland and Molde.

Thomas Myhre tells his story

Thomas Myhre has today revealed what happened the night in January which led him to being late for practice the following morning.

Viking decided to end the goalkeepers contract last week, because of this incident.


Myhre, however, claims that he was drugged, and had 160,000 NOK (approx. £16,000) removed from his bank account the same night.



Myhre has told the Norwegian newspaper VG that Viking, after a friendly match in Spain on the 22nd of January, was granted permission to go out. They ate dinner and drank some alcohol before going to a club. Myhre then had a ten hour long blackout before he
woke up in an unknown apartment the morning after. This led him to being 20 minutes late for the players meeting and not completing the following practice.

After returning to Norway, Myhre asked the police for a drug test, and there was found traces of drugs in his blood.

Viking are not going to change their decision on firing Myhre

National Squad

Egil "Drillo" Olsen has picked a squad of 16 players for the friendly match against Slovakia on the 3rd of March.

Rune Almenning Jarstein (Rosenborg),
Jon Knudsen (Stabæk),
Kjetil Wæhler (Aalborg).
Brede Hangeland (Fulham),
Henning Hauger (Stabæk),
Tom Høgli (Tromsø),
John Arne Riise (Roma),
Espen Ruud (Odense),
Per Ciljan Skjelbred (Rosenborg),
Alexander Tettey (Rennes),
Bjørn Helge Riise (Fulham),
Erik Huseklepp (Brann),
Morten Gamst Pedersen (Blackburn),
Christian Grindheim (Heerenveen),
Daniel Braaten (Toulouse),
John Carew (Aston Villa),



There might be a couple of more players added later, as he is still looking for a few more defenders, Jon Inge Høiland(Stabæk) and Vadim Demidov(Rosenborg) are likely to join the squad.