"Very Slim Chances": Haaland's Honest Verdict on Norway's World Cup Tie With Brazil
Erling Haaland, the tournament's most ruthless finisher with five goals in four matches, told reporters ahead of Sunday's Round of 16 that Norway have only a "very slim" chance of beating Brazil at MetLife Stadium.
⚽ Play today's FootWord while you read — freeIf there was any arrogance in Norway's camp after their historic first-ever World Cup knockout win over Ivory Coast, Erling Haaland did a thorough job of hiding it. Speaking in the build-up to Sunday's Round of 16 tie against Brazil at MetLife Stadium, the striker was characteristically direct: "I don't know if we'll make it — very slim chances." Given that Haaland had scored five goals in four matches to reach this stage, the self-deprecation landed with a quiet kind of weight.
Haaland is not wrong about the size of the challenge. Brazil arrived in New Jersey on the back of a hard-fought 2-1 win over Japan — coming from behind to win through Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time strike — and bring one of the tournament's deepest attacking rosters. Vinicius Júnior, Rodrygo, Raphinha, and a midfield engine built around Casemiro and Bruno Guimarães represent a different scale of threat to anything Norway have faced so far. Carlo Ancelotti's side have not played at their absolute ceiling yet; that, more than the result, is what frightens Norway's tacticians.
And yet the bracket has repeatedly humbled its favourites at this tournament. Paraguay sent Germany home on penalties. Cape Verde nearly eliminated Argentina in extra time just 48 hours ago. Norway themselves — the side Haaland insists have "very slim" chances — beat Ivory Coast with his own late header in the 86th minute. The Vinicius Júnior versus Haaland subplot writes itself: the most electric wide forward in the world against the most lethal striker in the field. Sunday at MetLife will not lack for drama.
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