Norway captain Haaland's halftime talk helped break deadlock, says Thorsby

OSLO :Captain Erling Haaland helped Norway celebrate their 4-1 victory over Estonia on Thursday by picking up a huge order of dozens of cheeseburgers for the squad, British media reported.

Haaland's composed halftime talk helped spark the win, midfielder Morten Thorsby said, with the team now on the brink of qualifying for the World Cup for the first time since 1998.

The 25-year-old striker, still dressed in Norway gear, was spotted after the game lugging the cheeseburger order back to the squad.

"It's a strong performance from the captain!" Norway and Fulham midfielder Sander Berge told TV2.

HAALAND URGES CALMNESS AFTER BOOS

Haaland, leading the team in the injured Martin Odegaard's absence, urged them to stay calm after a goalless first half in Oslo, where the frustrated home crowd booed and jeered as the players headed down the tunnel.

Norway hit four goals in 12 minutes as Alexander Sorloth scored twice in quick succession five minutes after play resumed before Haaland added a brace of his own. Robi Saarma netted a consolation for Estonia in the 64th minute.

"Erling was just nice and calm, he gave us the confidence that 'We'll fix this, boys'," Thorsby said. "'We're going to get that goal. We just have to keep going.' That's the kind of confidence we need in these games," Thorsby told Norwegian broadcaster NRK.

Defender Torbjorn Lysaker Heggem said Haaland, who extended his all-time Norway scoring record to 53 goals, also delivered a clear tactical message at the halftime break.

"He said we had to feed him more crosses ... just hit even more into the box. Especially when they are sitting so deep and we have to play a lot around them." Heggem told NRK. "It worked, you could see that after five minutes."

Thorsby said Haaland