We are going to need a bigger longboat. Norway are into the quarter-finals of the World Cup for the first time after edging this contest thanks to the man whose smile, and choice in cowboy apparel, has charmed the USA. Erling Haaland delivered again for his country, scoring two goals in the last 11 minutes – his sixth and seventh of the tournament – to send Brazil back home and keep the Viking invasion rolling on.
The result is a massive vindication for Ståle Solbakken and the team he has built over the past half decade. Norway set out to dominate Brazil in the first half, without much in the way of success. A double substitution at half-time signalled a shift in approach and on the counterattack Norway proved able to carve open a Brazil side which had their chances in this match but failed to take them.
