Still no Bell. That's a bit of a concern.
Stensness starts for Viking.
Edit - Viking win 6-3! Stensness a goal.
Stensness starts for Viking.
Edit - Viking win 6-3! Stensness a goal.
It seems he is injured and won't play in this game. Hopefully the injury is not too bad.
Permalink
Permalink
Viking win 2-1, and go top of the league
No Bell. He’s missed their last 3 games
No Bell. He’s missed their last 3 games
Permalink
Permalink
Niche Cache
Morten Jensen, VFK coach: “It is very well deserved. He is one of the country's best players, and it came as no surprise to us that he is going to the World Cup. All of Viking and Stavanger are proud that Joe Bell is our player. In the World Cup he will represent his own country, but also us in a way. I think most people in Stavanger will follow New Zealand and cheer for Bell.”
Morten Jensen, VFK coach: “It is very well deserved. He is one of the country's best players, and it came as no surprise to us that he is going to the World Cup. All of Viking and Stavanger are proud that Joe Bell is our player. In the World Cup he will represent his own country, but also us in a way. I think most people in Stavanger will follow New Zealand and cheer for Bell.”
Right on, brother. They reckon that Bell was the first active Viking player to be selected for a World Cup squad since Reidar Kvammen for Norway all the way back in 1938... although that honour didn’t last too long with Henrik Falchener since included in Norway’s class of 2026. There’s still hope for Gianni Stensness and Nick D’Agostino (the latter has been on loan at Brisbane Roar) who are in the wider training squad for Australia and could yet make the final cut.
But there is a worry here because Bell has a calf injury and hasn’t played for a month. He’s missed four straight games... though according to the linked article he reckons he’ll be fine for the World Cup opener. The thing is, Viking have won all four of those games so it hasn’t really been a talking point. After losing their season opener they’re now on a nine-game winning streak and sitting happily at the top of the table same as how they finished 2025.
It’s possible that they’ve been taking it easy with Bell and that he’d have been playing if not for the World Cup (which VFK will be healthily remunerated for, remember). They did have a game scheduled against Lillestrøm this upcoming weekend but thanks to having two players selected for World Cup squads they’ve been allowed to postpone that. Whatever the deal is with Bell’s calf, it’s full steam ahead for the World Cup now with no more Eliteserien matches until mid-July.
Permalink
Permalink