England and Norway will take the field on Monday at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup to battle for a chance to advance into the quarterfinals. The young Norwegians will look to come in and steal away England's thunder, and it's entirely possible they will.
Norway has scored eight goals so far in this tournament, while England has managed only four. England has struggled to find the back of the net, while Norway has flourished offensively. It's important that England doesn't get overly defensive in this game and forget about pressing offensively. On the other side, it's up to Norway to push the pace and catch England off guard. The sooner Norway gets a goal, the sooner England will be rattled.
For Norway, veterans Ingrid Hjelsmeth and Trine Ronning will help organize the defense, which allows the forwards to get out and run. The English tend to be stagnant offensively at times, deeming it easier to simply get the ball out to forward Eniola Aluko and let her run the show. As fast as Aluko is, she will need more help to help England secure a win.
Aluko will have help though, as talented Manchester City star Toni Duggan will be able to create her own shot and try to assist on goals. England cannot come out to start this game like they did against France, because that would be a sure defeat. The English have embraced young head coach Mark Sampson's ideas, and are hoping to make a deep run and re-establish themselves as a top-tier team.
Norway will look to re-establish themselves as well. After winning the World Cup in 1995, the Norwegians have fallen behind other countries such as the world powerhouses Germany and Japan, and will be looking to make their presence felt on Monday.
England and Norway kick off Monday at 5 PM ET at Lansdowne Stadium in Ottawa, Canada.