FOXBOROUGH: 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 forwards 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.
After a cautious start, Haaland, who scored 16 times in eight qualifying games, double the tally of anyone else in Europe, opened his World Cup goal account in the 29th minute, beating his markers and stabbing in a David Moller Wolfe low cross at the far post.
“It was not easy to be a debutant, you’re nervous, and to win on a not-so-good day is great,” Haaland told reporters. “To win 4-1 on an average day is absolutely huge for all of us. It’s fantastic and I’m proud of all of us.”
“This is the most difficult thing you can do,” added the forward. “The next games will be much tougher than this. We have to play even better.”
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 equaliser 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.
The forward, who looked to have benefited from some rest given by Manchester City at the end of the English Premier League season and by Norway in the run-up to the tournament, needed just 11 touches in the first half to score twice and give his team their first lead at halftime of a World Cup match.
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.
“I think three points will get you through to the next phase,” said Iraq coach Graham Arnold. “We got two more games to go. You know, I thought the boys did exceptionally well in the first half, but … a couple of mistakes hurt us badly.
“But what a great occasion this has been for Iraq and so many fans here. So, it’s a special night.”
The Norwegians next play Senegal, who lost 3-1 to France earlier. Iraq take on 2018 World Cup winners France in their second group game.
