The Vikings have landed at the G
Two quick drumbeats signaled to thousands of fans inside the UNCG Soccer Stadium to begin the Viking Row, the cheer that Team Norway’s fans have adopted to show their love for their culture and for their team. In unison, they moved their arms in rowing motions, shouting, “Ro!” — Norwegian for “row”— with each pull as Team Norway took to the pitch.
“We are thrilled to share this opportunity with our community as we celebrate the spirit of international soccer,” UNC Greensboro Chancellor Franklin D. Gilliam, Jr. said to the crowd moments before. “Let’s give a warm Greensboro welcome to these talented athletes.” After he spoke, Chancellor exchanged a UNCG soccer jersey for an official Team Norway one, signed by every member of the team.
Team Norway chose UNCG as its base camp because of Greensboro’s natural beauty, its position away from the bustle of big cities, and because of UNCG’s world-class soccer pitch, which on this day resembled a magnificent emerald carpet.
As the team’s sole open practice, this would be the only chance for North Carolina soccer fans to see the players they normally watch on their screens from thousands of miles away in person. It’s the first time the team has qualified for the world’s largest sporting event in 28 years, and they like their chances, with major European stars like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard on their side for this run.
More than 3,500 fans and perhaps 100 media members came to watch these Vikings do their thing in the North Carolina summer. Some held photos of Haaland; many were bedecked in red, a signature color for both the team and their nation.
UNCG alumnus and Greensboro Day School Soccer Coach Austin Miller ’15, who played Spartan soccer during his time at the University, said the day was as much of a learning experience as it was a chance to see these stars up close. “I definitely picked up a few coaching tips today,” he said.
UNCG Director of Athletics Brian Mackin, while watching the action from the sidelines, was struck by the weight of the moment. As chair of the NCAA Division I Men’s Soccer Oversight Committee, he has watched many soccer games. “What I see out here,” he said, “is another level. To see how these players commit to their country and to their team…it’s incredible.”
On the pitch, the players broke into quadrants to run passing, goaltending, and direct-kick drills before breaking into small-squad drills, with the fans roaring every time Haaland touched the ball.
UNCG Men’s Soccer Coach Chris Rich experienced much of the day in the stands with his 3-year-old son Kenan in his arms. “This is amazing,” he said. “This might be the biggest soccer crowd I have seen at UNCG since the Spartans made the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament in 2022.”
At the end of the practice, the team gathered in front of the crowd and applauded them in the international soccer tradition before heading back to their hotel to get some rest. They’ll play their first World Cup match on Tuesday, June 16, against Iraq in Boston, with all of Greensboro cheering them on.
Story by Brian Clarey, University Communications
Photos by University Communications and University Athletics
