Norway have one of the most formidable teams in women’s football, yet have not amounted to their potential at any major tournament in recent memory. The likes of Caroline Graham Hansen and Ada Hegerberg will be hoping to change those fortunes around, but the player that will perhaps be most integral to their success is Guro Reiten – coming off the season of her life with Emma Hayes’ Chelsea.
This is our analysis of Guro Reiten, and why she’s set to play a pivotal role in Norway’s time at the 2023 World Cup.
DYNAMISM ON THE WING + PRECISION PASSING
Embed from Getty ImagesGuro Reiten excels on the left-side of an attacking unit, where she can float in and around the half-spaces to allow for movement around her. As the other puzzle pieces make moves around her, Reiten intelligently shifts the ball and adjusts her positioning to perfectly match her mates.
What this means is that Reiten then becomes a creative hub for her team from a multitude of different areas on the pitch. In doing so, she also create chaos for the opposition as they attempt to track her movement, and the others shifting position alongside her. This is how Emma Hayes had much in the way of success with Fran Kirby and Guro Reiten interchanging position throughout 2022-23.
From that wonderful variety to her play, Reiten can go toe-to-toe down the left wing and beat defenders 1v1 with her dribbling power, but she can also cut/drift inside, receive the ball in the half-spaces and play a killer pass into the penalty area from that more central avenue.
What makes Reiten stand out above most footballers in the world is her ability to create chances for fun. The 28-year-old has mastered the art of how to perfectly weigh a pass into space, and how to perfectly find her teammate with the exact right delivery.
Her pass selection is always intelligent, and ranges from a mix of chips, cut-backs, high crosses, low-driven crosses, and outside of the boot passes into space. Selecting which pass to use in which moment better allows for her to meet the runs of her mates, and assist an abundance of goals.
Phenomenal at reading space in the attacking third, no winger or midfielder assisted or contributed to more goals in eight of the top Women’s Football leagues than Reiten this season, with her 9 goals and 11 assists helping Chelsea to another league title. Her ability to cross the ball with the perfect height and accuracy stands out in particular, but she’s also a genuine threat from any phase of attacking play.
She’s critical to leading counter attacks through her ability to drive forward at pace, where she can then lure the opposition into a tackle just at the exact moment she plays the perfect pass into space.
But she can also play her part deeper on the field, involving herself in the team’s progression into attacking play. She’s calm on the ball, and she’s not just making the riskiest of passes for the sake of it.
Embed from Getty ImagesBut when you put her in the final third, there are few other players on the field that you’d want to have involved. The Norwegian ranked in the top 1% of players in her position for expected assists, goal-creating actions, passes into the penalty area, carries into the penalty area, and progressive passes received.
Yes, she plays for one of the world’s top attacking units, with an abundance of talent surrounding her. But the fact that she remained an undeniable starter in Emma Hayes’ stacked team whilst receiving more progressive passes than any other player in the side speaks volumes for her quality, and the trust bestowed upon her by teammates.
When that speed of play and vision + awareness comes into play in the defensive phase, you continue to get a hard-working player that excellently helps to win the ball back for her team. Reiten wins a high percentage of her tackles (63%) and defensive duels (63%), whilst staying disciplined.
As a whole, it’s clear that Guro Reiten will be integral to Norway’s success throughout all phases of the game. Hege Riise’s team need to step up their game to have a shot of competing with the likes of England and the U.S. for the trophy, but with Guro Reiten in top form, they have every shot of having a successful time this summer.
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-> Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview – Lena Oberdorf
-> Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview – Rose Lavelle & Ashley Sanchez
-> Women’s World Cup 2023 Preview – Alex Greenwood & the loss of Leah Williamson
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