Stabæk were beaten 2-0 at home to Brann, although the scoreline flatters Brann with Stabæk hitting the woodwork twice in a close game. Stabæk lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation with Erik Bothiem playing as more of a second striker in behind Kosuke Kinoshita whilst Brann deployed a structured 4-3-3 system.
Ratings
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 29/02/2000
- Current Club: Stabæk Fotball
- Career: Stabæk Fotball
- Position: Left Wing
- Secondary Position: Attacking Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Vetlesen put in an impressive performance from the left wing, displaying great press resistance and ball-carrying abilities as well as playing some key passes to create chances for his teammates. He was Stabæk’s chief creative influence and most of their attacking moves ran through him, often with him picking the ball up in a wide position just inside the opponents half and driving forward before finding a teammate in a shooting position.
He protects the ball incredibly well, he is just 5’8 so is not a tall or physical presence but he shows great aggression and uses his body effectively to shield the ball from the opposition in a similar way to Jack Grealish. This makes it very difficult for the opponent to get to the ball to dispossess him and often results in Vetlesen drawing a foul, something he did frequently in promising positions during this match.
He has a great ability to draw defenders in and encourage them into committing to a challenge before using a clever body feint or change of direction to evade the pressure with well-disguised movement. This means he can often beat an opponent without touching the ball and he then has a good burst of pace to accelerate away into the newly vacated space.
His movement between the lines was intelligent to create space to receive the ball and he played some nice short passing interplay with the attacking players from these positions. He operated very well in central positions and would often drift inside in search of the ball, constantly making himself available and comfortable receiving a pass under pressure.
Rating: A1
Vetlesen has impressively already accumulated 100 appearances for Stabæk despite only being 20 years old. As a result he already looks at home in the Eliteserien and, in my opinion, should be on the radar of a number of teams as he looks to take the next step.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 12/03/1999
- Current Club: Stabæk Fotball
- Career: Stabæk Fotball
- Position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: Left
Bohinen played at the base of midfield and used his technical ability well to progress the ball from deep, although he struggled more with the defensive side of the game. He used a combination of passing and dribbling to move the ball up the pitch but looked a lot more comfortable taking players on as he was not the most creative passer in this game, often favouring moving the ball on with short accurate forward passes.
He is 6’1 with quite a lean build and he uses this effectively to get on the ball and drive into space, with his long strides giving an elegant glide-like quality to his movements. He has good balance and close control so is able to move through congested areas of the midfield whilst keeping possession and retaining this air of calmness and composure even when under pressure. His set-piece deliveries caused problems, consistently putting the ball into dangerous areas and forcing the goalkeeper into a good save.
However, he lacks dynamism and this can be exposed by the sharp movements of pacy, more lively players. He is slow on the turn and can be caught out with the wrong body positioning when trying to engage in defensive duels. With his frame he should be more effective at making interceptions and breaking up play but at the moment he seems to lack some confidence and tactical discipline in a part of his game which is still developing.
Rating: A2
Bohinen is an extremely talented player and if he can combine his technical quality with his physical attributes to add to the defensive side of his game then I believe he will be able to perform at the highest level within the next few years.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 17/01/1997
- Current Club: Stabæk Fotball
- Career: Stabæk Fotball
- Position: Centre Back
- Preferred foot: Right
Hanche-Olsen set a strong example as captain, organising the back four and putting himself in the danger zone with some brave defending when called upon. He is a tough, aggressive and physically imposing centre-back, despite standing at just over 6′ he has a very muscular build which allows him to dominate defensive duels.
He was comfortable in possession and was able to execute difficult vertical passes with consistent accuracy to progress the ball through the lines. However, he also coupled this with a no-nonsense approach and was happy to clear the ball and remove the danger when under pressure instead of risking overplaying out from the back. He is clearly a very confident player and does not shy away from attempting risky or difficult passes but did so successfully in this match.
He also showed an ability to step out of defence and drive forward when space opened up which was particularly effective towards the end of the game with Stabæk needing a goal. He was strong in the air and defended his box extremely well, getting himself in the right position and committing early to repel crosses.
Rating: A2
Another young player who has already amassed over 100 appearances for Stabæk, Hanche-Olsen may well be looking for the next move to further his career and it will be interesting to see what level that will be at.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 19/03/1999
- Current Club: Stabæk Fotball
- Career: Drøbak-Frogn IL, Strømsgodset IF (Y), Vålerenga Fotball (Y), Grorud IL, Stabæk Fotball
- Position: Right Wing
- Secondary Position: Centre Forward
- Preferred foot: Left
Edvardsen started very strongly and almost opened the scoring in the first five minutes after finding space in the box but hit the post with a low shot. He was constantly on the move the whole game, using his speed and acceleration to drive past players towards the byline before looking for a cutback into the box.
His passing needed slightly more care at times, especially at key moments where he seemed to rush and play a pass just behind or away from a teammate. His first touch was also quite heavy, which worked well when he had space to move into and allowed him to get up to full speed but in tighter areas it would present the ball to the opponent and make it too easy for them to step in and win possession.
If he could improve his close control and focus slightly more on the technical side he would be able to vary the pace and slow it down to force defenders to commit to him before accelerating past them but at times in this game he was too full throttle and this made him easy to defend against. He showed great energy throughout and pressed very well out of possession, not giving the Brann defenders any time on the ball.
Rating: B1
Edvardsen is developing well and has the ability to cause problems at this level but there are improvements to be made before he is ready to perform at a higher level elsewhere.
Player Profile:
- Nationality: Norwegian
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 10/01/2000
- Current Club: Stabæk Fotball (on loan from Rosenborg BK)
- Career: FK Lyn, Rosenborg BK, Stabæk Fotball (L)
- Position: Centre Forward
- Preferred foot: Right
Botheim played in the hole behind the central striker, showing good strength to hold the ball up and linking up well with the wide players, particularly Edvardsen down the right. His first touch was good and he was able to create space for himself effectively with some sharp movement and footwork in and around the box.
He received a lot of the ball around the edge of the box and had the presence of mind to play in teammates in better shooting positions, although he also hit the bar with a header himself in the second half. He showed good aggression and fought hard for every ball and was impressive in holding his own up against more physical defenders. His influence diminished in the second half before being substituted midway through.
Rating: B2