Semb laments Norway defeat

By Kevin Ashby in Oslo

Nils Johan Semb said "it could not have been a worse farewell" as Spain emphatically brought his five-year spell as the coach of Norway to an end with a 3-0 victory in Oslo to qualify for UEFA EURO 2004™ with a 5-1 aggregate triumph.

Laying siege
The margin of the success did not flatter the Spanish as they took off where they left Saturday's first leg in Valencia. The difference in a freezing Oslo was that ruthlessness replaced profligacy and the Norway goalkeeper, Espen Johnsen, had a night to forget rather than treasure after twisting his ankle midway through the first half as Spain laid siege to his goal.

Defining match
Semb knew the match would be the defining one of his coaching career: victory would have seen him lead his side in Portugal next summer, while defeat would spell a second successive major tournament without the Norwegians and see him stand down. If the latter was in doubt after Raúl González's opening goal, Vicente Rodriguez and Joseba Exteberría made triply sure early in the second half.

'Better team'
"There's not much to say," said Semb. "We lost to a team which was better than us in every department. They were even physically stronger. I have been prepared for my resignation for a long time but it has been emotional - in my 68 matches in charge of Norway we have never come up against a better team [than Spain]."

Midfield link
Confidence flowed through the Spaniards from the off regardless of the presence of four new players from the team which started at the Mestalla. César Martín, replacing the suspended Carlos Marchena, made Spain's first important interception of the match and willingly got forward; Vicente and Xabi Alonso prompted and probed in midfield; and Juan Carlos Valerón linked the midfield and spearhead Raúl with aplomb.

Tactics failed
Indeed, it was from a delicious touch from Valerón that Raúl opened the scoring in the 34th minute, the striker clinically placing the ball to Johnsen's right. Semb had hoped that the half-time introduction of the lanky Håvard Flo would galvanise his side, but he was left to concede: "We switched to 4-4-2 but that could not lift the team."

'Delighted' Sáez
Any hopes of a fightback were dashed as an indecisive moment from Christer Basma allowed Vicente to nip in for the second in the 49th minute, before a hobbling Johnsen only had the strength to clear the ball on to the head of Exteberría who added the touch of power it required to send it looping over the keeper for 3-0. Spain coach Iñaki Sáez was "obviously delighted" with the manner of his side's victory, but said it was "too early to focus on Portugal - there's much hard work to be done".

'Deserved victors'
He continued: "The two matches have left my players tired but we were deserved victors - we played very well today. We stuck to our own game, leaving the Norwegians to constantly fight to win the ball." Too often chasing shadows, Norway's finest challenge came from substitute goalkeeper Frode Olsen when he upended a protesting fan with a sliding tackle in the 73rd minute.

'Sad end'
If the rest of the team had shown such spirit then Semb, the suspended Henning Berg - who announced his international retirement, and is likely to be followed by others - could be looking forward rather than reflecting on what might have been. "It's a sad end," concluded Semb. For Spain, though, the party has just begun.