Erling Haaland Opens His World Cup Account
Erling Haaland opened his World Cup account with a trademark brace against Iraq in a Group I clash at Boston Stadium in Foxborough.
Iraq Stand Firm, but Haaland Scores
Iraq stood strong in the first 29 minutes before Erling Haaland found that limited space to score to get Norway going. The Iraqis, showing a bit of steel and fight, got back with a fine goal from Ayman Hussein 10 minutes later. But then, in a terrible defensive hara-kiri, Iraq literally gifted a goal to Erling Haaland, who made no mistake to make it 2-1 before halftime.
Unrelenting Pressure From Norway Seals the Deal
In the second half, Norway kept the pressure on the Iraqi goal and were eventually rewarded with a terrific header from Ostegard in the 76th minute to virtually settle the matter. The header came from an acute angle, which underlined the quality of the strike. In the dying minutes of the game, an own goal from Iraq led to a 4-1 emphatic win for Norway.
Iraq Had Their Moments But Norway Were Superior On the Day
Iraq had their moments. They showed a lot of spirit, but the Norwegians were better on the day. A great start for the Nordics indeed.
Debutants Jordan Took On Austria in the Last Game of the Day
The last match of Day 6 saw debutants Jordan take on Austria in Group J at the San Francisco Bay Stadium in Santa Clara.
Romano Schmid Scores a Ripper, but Ali Olwan Responds With A Screamer of His Own
Austria took the lead with an incredible strike from Romano Schmid in the 21st minute. It was nothing less than a stunner, which stunned the Rookies. But Jordan held their own and eventually equalised with an equally brilliant goal from Ali Olwan in the 50th minute.
Relentless Austria, Get Over The Line
Austria then went for the kill as Jordan surprisingly retreated to defend, which, in my opinion, was a tactical error. Such was the pressure from the Austrians that a goal was inevitable, and it came, unfortunately for Jordan, through an own goal. The relentless pressure resulted in a last-minute penalty, which Arnautovic converted with ease.
Jordan Had Their Heads Held High
Austria triumphed 3-1, but the match was far closer than the scoreline showed. Jordan gave a good account of themselves and had they shown a bit more intent, the Austrians might have been in a bit of a bother.
A Messi Day 6
Day 6 saw 16 goals scored without any surprises. Lionel Messi became the joint top scorer in World Cups along with Miroslav Klose with 16 goals, while Kylian Mbappé and Erling Haaland, the two best strikers in the World, scored a brace.
What a day!!
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