I'm a little bit out of place. Norwegian camera crews furiously move around the room to get the money shots and I'm stuck in a corner and can't get out of it. It's a nice metaphor. Humbling.

Inevitably, there are plenty of political types buzzing around, shaking hands and schmoozing – you know the ones – while the trendy PR guys are en masse, too. There is a smattering of journalists – the Scandinavians easy to identify. They've got the hipster-chic down perfectly. The thick-rimmed black spectacles, fair-haired beards, checked shirts, skinny jeans. And I thought I was onto a winner with my reliable navy blazer. Humbling.

We're at a fancy function in a leafy Ottawa suburb. The Norwegian ambassador to Canada, Her Excellency Mona Elisabeth Brøther, is hosting a reception for the Norway women's soccer team and its management. It's a little intimidating but when the players arrive, fresh from a 4-0 win over Thailand the previous day, they're dressed in immaculate tracksuits and I immediately feel better about my sartorial inadequacies.

Watching the group gather in the main drawing room, it's a sweet moment. They gaze around at the pretty pictures on the wall, the ornate fixtures and fittings and breathe it all in. They're being made a fuss of. Their country is proud of them. But it's all a bit unnatural. Everyone is staring at them, closely monitoring their reactions. They feel a bit awkward. I can sympathize.

There are speeches and lots of kind words. But even the dignitaries are uncomfortable. It's informal and lovely and unrehearsed but political figures like scripts. Ad-libbing is not their strong suit. Then Even Pellerud steps forward and it all changes. Effortlessly, the Norwegian coach takes control, cracks some jokes and breaks the tension. He can read a room. He can handle a room. Direct and concise, Pellerud says what he has to and everyone listens. At 61, he continues to wield substantial influence.

“The focus is on the job in hand with Norway but to come back to Canada is something I always look forward to,” he tells me later.

“I still have my two daughters here and my wife just came back from Vancouver to join me in Oslo. But we still have big roots and lots of connections and good friends here, particularly in Vancouver. So, it's like coming back home.”

View photos OTTAWA, ON - JUNE 07: Head coach Nuengrutai Srathongvian of Thailand shakes hands with Canada head coach Even Pellerud after the FIFA Women's World Cup Canada 2015 Group B match between Norway and Thailand at Lansdowne Stadium on June 7, 2015 in Ottawa, Canada. (Photo by Dennis Grombkowski/Getty Images) More

The country was good to him for the nine years he was in charge of the Canadian women's national team. And he was good to it. There was a fourth-place finish at the 2003 World Cup though the side really should've made it to the final, squandering a 1-0 semifinal lead to Sweden in the last 10 minutes. But failure to reach the knockout stages of the 2007 tournament led to criticisms. At the Beijing Olympics the following year, Canada were beaten by the U.S. in extra time of their quarter-final and Pellerud walked away.

Still, he retains a firm interest in the country's soccer program. He's impressed by current coach John Herdman though he has concerns about the development of younger players.

“I don't know John personally but he has a good record in New Zealand and he has done a good job with Canada. Some of the more physical components that I brought in were forgotten for some years and that hurt them. John has brought some of them back and against China last Saturday, I saw the eager defending and the pressure on the player in possession was tremendously good.

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