Norway striker Erling Haaland shattered Ivory Coast’s World Cup hopes on Tuesday, returning to their starting lineup to net an 86th-minute winner that sent his side into the last 16 with a 2-1 victory at Dallas Stadium.
Haaland’s fifth goal of the tournament sealed Norway’s progression, and their first-ever World Cup knockout-round victory, after Amad Diallo had cancelled out Antonio Nusa’s 39th-minute opener, setting up a mouth-watering clash with Brazil in New York on Sunday.
“It’s insane,” said Haaland, who had been rested for the 4-1 loss against France in Norway’s final group match. “Twenty-eight years since the last time (Norway reached the last 16).
“It’s huge, it’s crazy. It’s great to see that it means so much to the whole of Norway. I think this will change Norway forever. I feel a kind of unity. It’s touching to see.
“Playing against Brazil in the round of 16 is completely insane, so we just have to be happy and say that this is a journey, it’s just completely crazy.”
HAALAND PERIPHERAL
The African side had shaded the opening exchanges with Nicolas Pepe threatening down the right, while Ghislain Konan went closest to putting his team ahead, bursting into the area to drag a shot into the side-netting.
Yan Diomande picked out Pepe with a searching ball from the right only for the Villarreal man to mishit his shot, allowing the Norwegian defence to hack clear.
Haaland had been peripheral to that point but, as the end of the half drew near, Norway took control.
The Manchester City striker miscued a downward header from Alexander Sorloth’s cross from the right, but the move sparked Stale Solbakken’s side into life as they upped the tempo and dominated possession.
Their growing superiority paid off when Martin Odegaard fed the ball out to the left to Nusa, who stepped onto his right foot to arc the sweetest of finishes around the flying Yahia Fofana and into the top corner.
Haaland was denied soon after by a last-ditch block while Sorloth glanced his header across the face of goal from the resulting corner.
Emmanuel Agbadou nodded wide at the other end as the half drew to a close while Pepe was denied by Orjan Nyland 10 minutes after the restart having seen Guela Doue’s initial effort blocked by Torbjorn Heggem.
AMAD EQUALISER
Amad, introduced as a replacement for Christ Inao Oulai on the hour mark, cleared Heggem’s goal-bound effort off the line before dragging his team level at the other end in the 74th minute.
The Manchester United winger played a rapid one-two with Pepe and held off David Moller Wolfe before sidestepping Sander Berge to thump a shot into the turf that bounced beyond Nyland, sparking a mass celebration.
But it was Haaland who would have the final say.
Substitute Oscar Bobb, Haaland’s former City clubmate, slid the ball into the path of Patrick Berg inside the penalty area and he teed up the centre forward to score into an empty net with Fofana stranded.
Nyland kept out Amad’s stoppage-time free kick to maintain his side’s slender advantage and ensure Norway progressed.
“It’s difficult to lose in the last few minutes,” said Ivory Coast coach Emerse Fae. “We fought from the first to the last minute and so it’s tough to talk about.
“We need to let things settle down a bit. We learnt a lot, it was the first World Cup for many of the players and maybe they lack some maturity.”
(Reuters)
