2 hours ago It was billed arsenic a World Cup Golden Boot showdown betwixt Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.
In the extremity Haaland started connected the seat and it rapidly turned into the Ousmane Dembele amusement aft the Ballon d'Or victor deed a stunning 25-minute first-half hat-trick arsenic France coasted to a 4-1 win astatine Boston Stadium.
While France went with an array of attacking endowment they anticipation volition occurrence them to World Cup glory successful New Jersey connected 19 July, Norway decided this last radical crippled was the close clip to exclude Manchester City guardant Haaland from the starting XI for the archetypal clip since 2024.
It wasn't conscionable Haaland though arsenic Norway brag Stale Solbakken, with his broadside already done to the knockout stages, opted to marque a whopping 10 changes.
"A no-brainer," helium said erstwhile asked wherefore helium decided to marque truthful galore changes.
"Both my portion and from the physio, wellness and aesculapian department, and from immoderate of the players themselves.
"The lone information was for the Norway fans. They would person wanted to spot Erling and Martin [Odegaard] play.
"We did a summary aft the Senegal crippled and 5 oregon six players [were] precise affected aft 80 minutes. The full antiaircraft enactment and 1 oregon 2 midfielders."
As a effect of the changes, Dembele filled his boots aft Mbappe struck the underside of the crossbar wrong the opening minute.
"If Erling Haaland needs a remainder for the second stages of the tourney helium volition instrumentality that," erstwhile England striker Ian Wright told ITV Sport earlier the game.
With Haaland, who had scored 4 goals successful the erstwhile 2 radical games, sat connected the bench, his lawman Jorgen Strand Larsen missed a punishment that would person made it 3-2 aft half-time.
Haaland had already made his feelings wide astir facing France aft scoring 2 successful a 3-2 triumph implicit Senegal connected 23 June.
"I couldn't attraction excessively overmuch astir that crippled now," helium said aft Norway qualified for the knockout stages.
"They're astir apt going to triumph against us. They're astir apt going to triumph the full tournament."
So was it a shrewd determination by Norway to marque truthful galore changes - oregon the incorrect decision?
English (US)·