Norway team guide
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Article summary
After a one-year absence Jarl Torske's side return to the final tournament determined to go all the way and lay a ghost to rest having lost all three of their showpiece appearances.
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Norway have always been there or thereabouts at this level, but despite reaching the final three times they are yet to engrave their names on the trophy. Perhaps the closest they came was in the last year of the U18s in 2001 when a side including Marie Knutsen and Trine Rønning pushed Germany all the way, the latter scoring both Norway's goals in a 3-2 defeat.
France proved their undoing in the final two years later, but after reaching those dizzy heights Norway failed to produce at this level until 2008 when, having qualified as best runners-up, they reached the final again, losing 1-0 to Italy. After a one-year final tournament absence Jarl Torske's side will be determined to lay the ghost to rest this summer.
Route to finals
First qualifying round: 8-0 Belarus, 4-0 Faroe Islands, 1-1 Netherlands (Group 7 runners-up)
Second qualifying round: 2-0 Portugal, 2-0 Croatia, 1-0 England (Group 4 winners)
Top scorer: Melissa Bjånesøy (7)
Key players
Andrine Stolsmo Hegerberg (midfielder, Kolbotn IL), Ina Skaug (midfielder, Stabæk Fotball), Anette Tengesdal (midfielder, Klepp IL), Melissa Bjånesøy (forward, IL Sandviken).
Coach: Jarl Torske
Date of birth: 05/06/1949
Playing career: Sunndal
Coaching career: Sunndal, Molde FK (assistant coach), Norway U16/U17, Norway women (assistant coach), Norway women's U19, Norway women's U23
Jarl Torske spent almost 30 years with hometown club Sunndal as player and coach before taking up a position at the Football Association of Norway (NFF) in 1995. Initially combining the role with a job as assistant coach at Molde, his first task was to take charge of the boys' youth sides and his talents were soon noted.
In 1997 he was appointed as assistant to women's coach Per-Mathias Høgmo and it was in this role that Torske enjoyed his greatest success to date, helping guide Norway to Olympic gold in 2000. It brought another change in his job specification as he took up the post of women's U19s, a position he has held ever since.
Torske led the team to UEFA European Women's U18 and U19 Championship finals in 2001, 2003 and 2008, but silverware has thus far eluded him. He has been full time with the NFF since 2006, stepping down from his part-time job as a teacher when he took charge of the women's U23 side.
UEFA European Women's Under-19 Championship best
Runners-up: 2003, 2008