Match Preview: Brazil vs. Norway - Haaland gets the yellow wall
Brazil meet Norway in New York New Jersey with Vinicius Junior carrying the five-time champions and Erling Haaland giving the underdogs one obvious way to wreck the script.
Brazil get Norway at New York New Jersey Stadium on Sunday at 4:00 PM local/ET, 1:00 PM PT. The winner gets Mexico or England in Miami, but Brazil's first job is simpler: do not let one loose pass become Erling Haaland's one clean look. 1
Form check
Brazil arrived here the hard way. Gabriel Martinelli's stoppage-time goal beat Japan 2-1 in the Round of 32, after Brazil had fallen behind and needed Casemiro to drag them level. 2 Vinicius Junior has been Brazil's tournament blade, with four goals across the group matches against Morocco, Haiti and Scotland. 1
Norway are looser because they already stole one piece of history. Haaland scored the 86th-minute winner against Cote d'Ivoire, his fifth goal of this World Cup and 60th for Norway, sending them into a Brazil meeting on July 5. 3
Spotlight matchup
Brazil's possible XI starts with Alisson, Casemiro, Bruno Guimaraes, Matheus Cunha and Vinicius; Norway's has Martin Odegaard feeding Haaland, Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa. 1 That is the whole preview. Brazil have more answers. Norway have the answer that scares everybody.
Prediction: Brazil 2-1 Norway, but only if Ancelotti's midfield slows Odegaard before he turns his head up.
Quote of the day
"I don't think that there's such a thing as an anti-Haaland plan." - Carlo Ancelotti 1
References
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