Give Haaland chances.. The Norway coach directs his players before the Iraq match sports

Norway coach Stole Solbakken said on Monday that striker Erling Haaland is very excited to face Iraq on Tuesday in his country’s first World Cup match in 28 years, stressing that his teammates will seek to give him opportunities to continue his scoring hobby.

Solbakken said that Haaland, who scored 16 goals in eight qualifying matches, which is double the tally of any other player in Europe, appears to have returned to his best levels after Manchester City gave him a rest at the end of the English Premier League season, and Norway also gave him a rest in the period leading up to the World Cup.

He told reporters, “We have great hope in his impact. I hope we can continue to give him opportunities. If you give Erling opportunities, he will be closer to scoring.”

Solbakken, a former midfielder who played 58 matches with Norway, praised captain Martin Odegaard, who provided the most assists in the European qualifiers, despite his long absence due to injury.

The coach said that this absence helped Norway develop. “The players around him matured because of it. So they became more confident in themselves.”

Norway begins its World Cup campaign at the New England Patriots Stadium in the suburbs of Boston against the Iraqi national team, which qualified for the tournament after a marathon of 21 matches, in addition to the additional pressures and stress resulting from travel difficulties due to the conflict in the Middle East.

Solbakken highlighted the tactical discipline of the Iraqi national team and its reliance on defensive formation, in addition to its danger through cross balls.

He said, “It is clear that the coach has very great experience in such matches, given his successes with the Australian national team,” referring to Graham Arnold, who led Australia to the round of 16 in the 2022 World Cup, before losing to Argentina, which later won the title.