Football is a cruel, simple game. You run around for 85 minutes, look completely useless, and then Erling Haaland pops up to ruin your tournament. That is the harsh reality Ivory Coast learned in Dallas. The Manchester City giant had spent the evening doing a whole lot of nothing. Then, the 86th minute arrived. Patrick Berg dragged a cutback across the box. Haaland, lurking like a vulture, bobbled it home from six yards. Just like that, Norway snatched a 2-1 win and booked a date with Brazil in the last 16.
It was ugly. It was inevitable. That makes 13 straight competitive internationals with a Haaland goal. More importantly, it gives Norway their first-ever World Cup knockout victory. They can thank Ivorian boss Emerse Fae for the head start. Fae decided to get clever, leaving Manchester United’s Amad Diallo on the bench to deploy a cowardly 4-1-4-1 setup. It backfired. The Ivorians looked lost.
Norway took advantage. Antonio Nusa, the 21-year-old RB Leipzig winger who usually plays second fiddle to Haaland’s hype machine, showed real class in the 39th minute. He cut inside from the left and curled a beauty into the far corner. The assist went to Martin Odegaard. The captain has now set up a goal in each of his first three World Cup games. Only two other players in history have done that. Not bad.
Fae realized his mistake. He threw Amad on for the second half. The game changed instantly. First, the winger saved his team at the back, clearing a Torbjorn Heggem volley off the line. Then, in the 74th minute, he did what he should have been doing from the opening whistle. He cut in from the right, danced past two defenders, and slotted home a brilliant equalizer.
It was a tense, nervous affair. Both teams looked terrified of the occasion. This was Ivory Coast’s first knockout game ever, and Norway’s first in nearly three decades. The pressure showed. Teenage prospect Yan Diomande got bullied all night, highlighted by David Moller Wolfe leveling him with a brutal first-half body check. Amad nearly saved the day again late on, but his 25-yard free-kick was clawed away by Orlan Nyland.
So, Norway survives. Next up is Brazil on Sunday, July 5. Kickoff is 21:00 BST. If they somehow get past the Selecao, England likely waits in the quarterfinals. Good luck with that.
