New Jersey, Jun 17 (V7N) – Erling Haaland scored twice as Norway took a 2-1 lead over Iraq at halftime in their FIFA World Cup Group I encounter at New Jersey Stadium in New York.
The match kicked off at 4:00 a.m. Bangladesh time on Wednesday, with both teams looking to secure a positive start to their World Cup campaign.
Norway broke the deadlock in the 29th minute when Haaland tapped home a low cross from David Müller after a well-worked move down the left flank.
Iraq responded strongly and found the equalizer ten minutes later. In the 39th minute, Aymen Hussein rose highest to meet a cross from Amir Al Ammari and powered a header past the Norwegian goalkeeper to level the score.
The parity, however, lasted only a few minutes. Haaland restored Norway’s lead in the 43rd minute after Iraqi goalkeeper Jalal Hassan failed to clear the ball properly. The loose ball struck the Norwegian striker and ricocheted into the net, handing Norway a crucial advantage before the halftime whistle.
The brace took Haaland’s international tally to 57 goals, further cementing his status as Norway’s most influential attacking player.
With 45 minutes still to play, Norway remains on course for an important victory, while Iraq faces an uphill battle to overturn the deficit in the second half.
END/SMA/AJ
