Mjelde marvels at 'perfect start'

Norway captain Maren Mjelde was left to reflect on a "perfect start to the tournament" after scoring twice in a 5-0 victory against UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship hosts Iceland in Reykjavik.

Crucial strike
After a nervous opening, Jarl Torske's team gradually came into the game although the Group A points were still there for the taking until Mjelde broke the deadlock with an opportunistic drive five minutes before half-time. "I just found myself with a lot of time on the edge of the area and so hit a shot goalwards," said the 17-year-old. "Fortunately the keeper couldn't deal with the power and somehow it found its way in." She then made it 2-0 before the interval, rifling in from the penalty spot after Ida Elise Enget had been brought down, to set Norway on course for a comfortable Group A win.

Attacking reward
"I was surprised to score once but to score twice was amazing as normally I am a very defensive player," continued Mjelde, who plays as a centre-back for club side Arna/Bjørnar. "The coach likes to bring a more offensive side out of my game when I play for the national team and he's always telling me to shoot more. Well I did and it certainly paid dividends." Torske concurred, admitting that he and his coaching staff are "trying to get her further up the field because she's a great passer of the ball", a quality that became obvious as the second half wore on and the youngster began linking up with substitute Ingvild Isaksen to devastating effect.

'Perfect start'
Next up are holders Germany, who Norway held to an impressive 1-1 draw in a friendly last month; victory could be enough to send them through to the last four. That would be an achievement in itself for a team that only qualified for these finals after an 88th-minute goal from Elise Thorsnes earned the one place available for best runners-up. The mood in the camp is confident. "It was a proud moment when the referee blew the whistle and the scoreboard read 5-0 to Norway," said Mjelde. "It's the perfect start to the tournament and we hope we can finish the German game with a victory too."