Brazil seek to end Norwegian jinx

April 27, 2006

OSLO, April 27 (Reuters) - World champions Brazil will play Norway in a soccer friendly in Oslo in August, hoping to make it fourth time lucky against a team they have never beaten.

'It's hard to imagine a better opponent in a friendly than Brazil,' Norway coach Aage Hareide said of the game at Ullevaal stadium on Aug. 16.

One of the few nations never beaten by Brazil, Norway defeated the South Americans 2-1 in a first-round upset at the 1998 World Cup in France.

Norway also won 4-2 over Brazil in a friendly in Oslo in 1997 and the two drew their only other game, 1-1, in 1988.

Norway's success in the mid-1990s, based on a tight defence and passes lobbed to a lone striker, briefly lifted them to second in FIFA's rankings behind only Brazil.

They have since tumbled to 40th and have not qualified for this year's World Cup finals.

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