Erling Haaland announced himself on the world stage on Tuesday night as the Manchester City man scored twice in Norway's 4-1 victory over Iraq in their World Cup opener.
Haaland's Point to Prove
Haaland had a point to prove in Boston, Massachusetts on Tuesday night as Norway kicked off their World Cup campaign against Iraq. This was the first time since 1998 the Scandinavian nation has qualified for the World Cup. Manchester City's talisman is seen as their best hope heading into the competition. However, he was slammed by his home country's media after a lacklustre performance in their final warm-up match against Morocco last week.
Back to His Best Against Iraq
But against Iraq he was back to his best. He scored his first just before the half hour mark as he slid in at the back post to convert David Moller Wolfe's low cross. Haaland added his second just before half time as he quickly closed down goalkeeper Jalal Hassan to deflect his clearance into the back of the net. Norway would go on to win 4-1 to move top of Group I.
Media and Coach Praise
After the game, the Norwegian media hailed Haaland's performance. Dagbladet rated him eight out of 10 and described him as a 'wild animal' in the first half while TV2 labelled him a 'hurricane'. Iraq head coach Graham Arnold was full of praise for Haaland too. "He's a fantastic number nine," he said post-match. "What he's done at City says it all. We had good control of him for a long time, and in the first half we did a good job of preventing him from getting served. He's deadly. One of the best I've ever seen."
Zlatan's Admission
Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic admitted on Fox Sports that Haaland was catching his eye. "I might have to move him up on my “king of the jungle” list. He’s getting closer to Zlatan, so we’re happy with his performance today."
Crucial Role Beyond Goals
Even when he was not scoring, Haaland played a crucial role for his country. Ahead of the fourth, the striker could be seen ushering up the centre-backs for a late free kick despite Norway boss Stale Solbakken's instruction not to cross into the box. Eventually, Haaland's call on the pitch paid off as the free kick was lofted into the area and from the resulting knock down, Norway scored.
Haaland and Norway continue their World Cup campaign in the earlier hours of Tuesday morning against Senegal in New Jersey.
