Former University of South Florida standout Siri Nordby, who now plays for the Norwegian National Team, connected on a penalty kick against Brazil in the Quarterfinals of the Olympics in Beijing.
In the 83rd minute, the Brazilian goalkeeper charged off her line, tripping a Norwegian forward and drawing a foul, which set up Nordby for the penalty kick. Nordby slid her shot low and to the right of the diving keeper, scoring Norway's only goal of the game. Watch the play unfold at the 1:47 mark of the video.
Norway's quest for gold ended with the 2-1 loss to Brazil in that Quarterfinal game.
August 15, 2008 ? Nordby enters the Quarterfinal game in the 63rd minute. Just 20 minutes later, Nordby scores Norway's only goal of the game, when she converted a penalty kick into the lower 90.
August 12, 2008 ? In their third game of the Olympics, Norway was dealt their first loss, a 5-1, defeat to Japan. Siri Nordby produced back-to-back 90 minute games. Norway will now face Brazil in the quarterfinals on Friday.
August 9, 2008 ? Siri Nordby was a starting defender in Norway's 1-0 victory over New Zealand. Nordby played all 90 minutes in her second appearance in the 2008 Olympic games.
August 6, 2008 - Norway scored in the second and fourth minute of the game to beat the United States 2-0 in a Group G preliminary at the Olympics on Wednesday. Nordby subbed into the game in the 88th minute, playing defense for the final three minutes.
Norway, who won the Olympic gold medal in 2000 and bronze in 1996, is currently fifth in the FIFA world ranking. After playing the US, Norway will face New Zealand on August 9 and Japan on August 12, then prepare for the August 15 Quarterfinal Round. The Semifinals are August 18 and the Championship will be held on August 21.
A few links about Siri Nordby
? Here is a Q&A with Siri on her Norwegian Club Team page
? That same interview is translated into English below
? Nordby's Olympic bio page
? Here's an action shot of Nordby (photo No. 10 of 11)
? Norway's Olympic media guide ? Nordby on page 11
? Olympic women's soccer schedule and results page
August 5, 2008 - Former University of South Florida standout Siri Nordby, and the Norway National Women's Soccer Team, will face the United States in Round 1 of the Olympics on Wednesday, Aug. 6 in Beijing, China. (Due to the length of the tournament, the women's soccer competition must begin before the Opening Ceremonies.) The crucial Group G match at the Qinhuangdao Olympic Sports Center Stadium kicks off at 7:45 p.m. local time, which is 7:45 a.m. ET, and will be broadcast live on MSNBC and Universal HD. The game can also be seen on the NBC Olympic Soccer Channel.
Q&A with Siri Nordby on her 30th birthday ? Courtesy of Caroline Knutsen
Name: Siri Nordby
Born: August 4, 1978
Best soccer memory: Winning The Double with R?a in 2004 ,and especially the Cup-final.
Hopes for this season: A lot of medals:)
Dream vacation: Anywhere where it is warm and sunny, with a nice beach and a golf course so I can play golf with my boyfriend.
Always bring in your purse: My cell and credit card :)
What would I bring to a desert island: My sunglasses
What do you do in your spare time: Hang out with friends and family, and try to catch a round of golf with my boyfriend whenever I have time.
Favorite food: Homemade pizza
What do you do in 15 years: Then I've put my cleats in the storage and hopefully I have a little family.
Nordby at USF
The defender now wearing the No. 5 jersey for Norway, played soccer for USF from 1997-00, and holds the school's career record in points (110), goals (41), assists (28), shots (252) and games started (70). Nordby helped USF put together three consecutive winning seasons from 1997-99. In her four-year career, she received several honors including: four-time all-conference player, C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and Soccer Buzz Freshman All-American in 1998.
In 2005 Nordby was selected to the Conference-USA All-Decade Team. At that time, she was ranked first all-time in C-USA in shots (252), third in goals (41), third in points (110) and seventh in assists (28).
Nordby, who graduated in May 2001 with a degree in mass communications, currently plays for both the Norwegian National Team and for ROA Oslo.
