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FOXBOROUGH, United States: Norway's prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday (Jun 16) to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a marker for the tournament.
Norway’s prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a marker for the tournament. The 25-year-old, one of the most exciting forward in world football, was in the spotlight long before the match, and he lived up to his big-name billing on his debut on the biggest of stages, as Norway returned to the World Cup after a 28-year absence. It was always going to be an uphill struggle for Iraq, who returned to the World Cup for the first time in 40 years after grabbing the last available World Cup place with a 2-1 win over Bolivia in their intercontinental playoff in March. But they had been battle-hardened by 21 qualifying matches and they kept their composure, snatching a stunning equalizer 10 minutes later, with Aymen Hussein, whose goal against Bolivia had sent them to the World Cup, rising higher than three Norwegians in the box and heading in an Amir Al Ammari cross. Their joy, however, was short-lived when Haaland pounced on a weak back pass to Iraq’s Jalal Hassan. The keeper hesitated before trying to clear the ball but instead hit Haaland, with the ball bouncing off his knee into the net for his 57th goal in 51 international matches. Iraq refused to give up, repeatedly coming close in first-half stoppage time as both teams, with a combined World Cup absence of 68 years, delivered a scintillating opening 45 minutes. The pace dropped somewhat after the break but Norway struck again in the 76th, sealing their win with substitute Leo Ostigard’s glancing header, before under-pressure Hussein scored an own goal deep into stoppage time.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass., June 16 : Norway's prolific striker Erling Haaland bagged two goals in his maiden World Cup appearance on Tuesday to guide his team to an opening 4-1 Group I victory over Iraq, and put down a marker for the tournament.
FOXBOROUGH, United States: Erling Haaland struck his first World Cup goals as Norway beat Iraq 4-1 on Tuesday in their first game at a major tournament in 26 years. The Manchester City striker turned in from close range to give Norway the lead on 29 minutes in Boston, but Aymen Hussein’s header brought Iraq level. Haaland pounced on an error at the back to put Norway ahead again before half-time and take his goals tally at international level to 57 in just 51 matches. Leo Ostigard headed in a third for Norway moments after coming off the bench to effectively wrap up victory. Norway got a fourth deep into stoppage time through a Hussein own goal. The win left Norway on top of Group I on goal difference, level with France on three points after Les Bleus overcame Senegal 3-1 earlier in the day.
MIAMI: For 80 minutes, with a storm brewing high above the Miami Stadium, it looked like lightning might strike twice.
BOSTON, June 15 : Iraq have qualified for their first World Cup in 40 years but coach Graham Arnold wants far more than that, with his team battle-hardened by the 21 qualifying matches it took to reach the finals and ready to shock the world, he said on Monday.
BOSTON, June 14 : Human goal machine Erling Haaland will seek to get his World Cup account up and running immediately when Norway take on Iraq on Tuesday to end the country's nearly three-decade absence from football's elite tournament.
Scotland moved top of Group C in their long-awaited return to the World Cup with a nervy 1-0 win over Haiti in Foxborough.