The domestic leagues are in preparation for the 2022/2023 season, but for the summer leagues, this is different. The second half of the season will continue and one of these leagues is the Norwegian Toppserien. In this article, we will look more closely at the best U20 attacking talent in the 2022 installment of the league.
Toppserien: Mina Folland (17) – Arna-Bjørnar
Mina Folland is a 17-year-old striker who plays for Arna-Bjørnar in Toppserien. She has played 455 minutes so far in which she has scored 2 goals from 2,19 expected goals. Folland has also managed to average 1,98 shots per 90 and has an xG per 90 of 0,40. She hasn’t played many minutes yet this season, but what’s evident is that she’s always looking to get herself in the right positions to shoot and score that goal for her team.
Toppserien: Ida Mortensen Natvik (17) – Avaldsnes
Ida Mortensen Natvik is another 17-year-old striker in the Toppserien, playing for Avaldsnes. She can play as a striker, but can also be fielded in the right-attacking midfield within a four-player midfield. Natvik has played 558 minutes in 11 games with her side, scoring 1 goal that came from a penalty. She comes in the position to shoot but needs to work a bit more on her finishing ability. While she isn’t great at her decisive passing yet, she has a good dribbling ability and has a high completion percentage in comparison to her U20 peers.
Synne Brønstad (19) – Rosenborg
Synne Brønstad is doing great at Rosenborg. The 19-year-old striker has scored 2 goals and assisted 5 – meaning she has contributed to 7 goals in the 772 minutes she has played in Toppserien. She can play in attacking midfield too, as well as central midfield – which makes her a versatile player. While she can strike the ball very well and get in good positions, it’s her key passing style that will see her develop even more in the game.
Linnea Sælen (16) – Arna-Bjørnar
Linnea Sælen is a remarkable talent playing in the Toppserien. The 16-year-old can play as a striker but has also played in the left wing or right wing role at Arna-Bjørnar. She has played 795 minutes in 11 games and has scored 2 goals from 1,95 xG. Sælen likes to dribble and make progressive runs, but her core quality is that she comes in the box often and likes to shoot from there. The player is incredibly young at this point, but she already shows great quality on the ball.
Cathinka Tandberg (18) – Lyn
Cathinka Tandberg is one of the best young strikers in the Toppserien, as she has shown in the Norwegian league a few seasons on with Lyn. She can be used as a striker but also can play on the right wing and in central midfield for Lyn. She is not the player that excels in goal contributions, but really adds to the attacking play with her key passing, ball carrying abilities, and runs into open spaces. When she has the ball, she often drifts to the wide areas and provides crosses into the box.
Final thoughts
As you can see these players are very young but can develop into great players in Toppserien – but also in one of the big leagues in Europe. There’s potential for these players and if they choose the right path – they might be quite successful. In any case, it’s good to keep an eye on these talented U20 strikers in Toppserien.
