By STEPHEN WHYNO
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Erling Haaland headed in the go-ahead goal in the 80th minute and scored again before the end of regulation time, carrying Norway into the World Cup quarterfinals for the first time with a 2-1 victory over Brazil on Sunday that showcased the young striker on soccer’s biggest stage.
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Haaland, after being a nonfactor for much of the afternoon and having limited touches, turned it on when it mattered most, getting the right side of his head on the ball after a perfect setup by Andreas Schjelderup, who entered at halftime. Schjelderup jumped on Haaland’s back to celebrate the 6-foot-5 striker scoring his sixth goal at the World Cup and did so again after assisting on his seventh, tying Lionel Messi for the most in the tournament.
Neymar scoring on a penalty kick late in stoppage time, changing only the final score.
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Brazil goes home having massively underachieved expectations set pretty much at win or bust for the five-time World Cup champions. The global powerhouse had its streak of quarterfinal appearances at the tournament end at eight, losing before that stage for the first time since 1990.
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