AUCKLAND (Reuters) – Norway defender Mathilde Harviken said she had to seek help to deal with a debilitating bout of nerves ahead of her side’s 1-0 defeat in the their opening Women’s World Cup Group A game against New Zealand on Thursday.
Speaking to a press conference at the Norway team hotel in Auckland on Friday, the 21-year-old centre-back revealed she had expected some butterflies before her first appearance at a major tournament but not the extent to which they affected her.
“I can honestly admit that I was nervous before the start of the match, it was something completely different from what I’ve experienced before,” she told reporters.
“I was very prepared for it to be like that, but I’ve never experienced anything like it,” she added.
After being told by coach Hege Riise that she would start against the co-hosts, Harviken sought the advice of Morten Asli, Norway’s “mental coach”, and the more experienced players in the squad.
“I swapped some experiences the night before – everyone was very clear that I should do things as normal and not make it into something bigger than it actually was,” the stopper added.
“They (the senior players) shared the experiences from their debuts and told me about games they played previously.”
After a disappointing Euros last year that saw Norway eliminated at the group stage, they looked unsure of themselves against the Football Ferns as passes went astray and they resorted to hoofing the ball clear.
“I was a little bit nervous, I maybe thought that I should keep it simple and not take too many big risks during the game,” Harviken said.
New Zealand’s Hannah Wilkinson struck the only goal of the game early in the second half to claim her side’s first-ever victory at a World Cup and Norway will have to regroup ahead of their next Group A game against Switzerland on Tuesday.
“We have to get in the ring, we can’t feel sorry for ourselves,” Norway coach Riise said in the wake of the defeat. “Hard work awaits. We have to put this game behind us and agree on what we’re going to do against Switzerland.”
The Swiss top the group after a 2-0 win over debutants the Philippines, with New Zealand second and Norway third.
(Reporting by Philip O’Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)
