Haaland on target as Norway win first World Cup KO game

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP):

Erling Haaland savoured the moment after Norway won a knockout game at the World Cup for the first time, a celebration that included a horned helmet atop his head and again sitting on the field with teammates to do the Viking Row in synch with their red-clad fans.

“This is unbelievable. This is history,” Haaland said on the field after the game.

A slight tap from Haaland’s left foot in the 86th minute was the difference as Norway beat Cote d’Ivoire 2-1 yesterday, setting up another World Cup match against five-time champions Brazil — 28 years after a victory that many consider the greatest ever for the Norwegians.

For now, they prefer to enjoy their latest accomplishment.

“What we’re going to think about now is to enjoy the win today. We’re really happy and proud of ourselves,” said Martin Odeegaard, the team’s captain who banged the drum to set the pace for the postgame row. “Hopefully, we can keep dreaming and keep believing and keep performing like we did.”

Antonio Nusa scored the opening goal in the first half with a curling kick for Norway, who are in their fourth World Cup.

“This is really a dream come true,” Nusa said in translated remarks.

Norway are in their first World Cup since that 1998 appearance, when the team got to the knockout round only after scoring goals in the 83rd and 89th minutes for an incredible 2-1 comeback win over then-reigning World Cup champions Brazil in the group finale.

Amad Diallo, who had prevented Norway from taking a two-goal lead earlier in the second half, evened the match for Cote d’Ivoire with a left-footed kick in the 74th minute.

Even after Haaland’s go-ahead goal, his Norway-record 60th in 53 matches, Cote d’Ivoire kept pressing and had a chance to equalise with a direct free kick by Diallo in the sixth minute of stoppage time. Orjan Nyland made a leaping stop, the last of his four saves, when he deflected the ball away as he extended his left hand across his body.“After their equaliser, it was easy to panic. But we got our players in the right position and managed to play our game again,” Norway coach Ståle Solbakken said.