NEW YORK, July 5 -- Norway coach Stale Solbakken has reminded his players against being overwhelmed by the occasion of playing against five-time champion Brazil in Sunday's World Cup round of 16 game.

"We need to play the match, not the circumstances," he told reporters in New Jersey on Saturday. "We need to make sure that we don't play according to the occasion, but that we simply play the match.

"Obviously, Brazil is the favourite, but I also said that I don't think they are big favourites, which they maybe had been some years ago, or two, three, four years ago.

Last time the two sides clashed was in the 1998 World Cup, where Norway edged Brazil 2-1 in a group game.

Norway has two wins and two draws in their previous four meeti...