Norway won a good 4:1 victory over Iraq in the first round of Group I in Boston at the FIFA World Cup tonight. The Norwegians are therefore at the top of the group in terms of goals, but the French beat Senegal 3:1 earlier this evening.
The game started off very slowly and it wasn’t until after the first water break that the game got lively.
Norwegian star Erling Braut Haaland broke the ice for the Norwegians in the 29th minute when he scored after a good attack by the Norwegians and a powerful pass from David Möller Wolfe.
Erling Haaland celebrates his first goal tonight.
AFP/Justin Setterfield
It took ten minutes for Iraq to equalize when Aymen Hussein’s superb header from Amir Al Ammari’s pinpoint cross.
Aymen Hussein celebrates Iraq’s first World Cup goal with his teammates.
AFP/Buda Mendes
Four minutes later, the Iraqis went so badly and Haaland punished them for it. Akam Hashim’s pass back to goalkeeper Jalal Hassan was too loose and Hassan thundered the ball into Haaland and into the goal.
Haaland’s second goal was more decorative.
AFP/Buda Mendes
Iraq then had two excellent chances to equalize towards the end of the first half, but failed to take advantage of them.
The game calmed down considerably in the second half and there were not many chances.
Substitute Leo Östigard scored a powerful header in the 76th minute for Norway, and thus pretty much ended Iraq’s hopes.
Leo Ostigard scored a cool header.
AFP/Mattia Ozbot
The final goal came at the very end of the game. Ajer had the pass that Haaland headed back into the goal area, where there was a big fight and the ball seemed to bounce off Aymen Hussein and into his own net. The goal was initially registered to the Norwegian Kristian Thorstvedt, but it will probably be corrected.
The Norwegian Torbjorn Heggem in a fight with the Iraqi Ali Alhamadi.
AFP/Mattia Ozbot
