Haaland Scores Two in World Cup Debut vs. Iraq
It may have been Erling Braut Haaland’s first ever World Cup match, but you never would have been able to tell. For the Norwegian star man, it felt like just another one of his consistently brilliant performances, which made the fact it was his debut on the world’s biggest stage all the more impressive.
Equally impressive was the overall gameday experience that made up my own debut as a fan, as Tuesday’s Norway vs. Iraq match was the first World Cup match that I have ever attended. And it was everything I hoped it would be!
For starters the attendance, a near sellout with hardly any empty seats visible, was much higher than I had anticipated which was a testament to both the Norway and Iraq supporters who turned up in droves.
I suppose that should have been expected, as the match ended droughts of 28 years and 40 years for Norway and Iraq respectively. There were also, based on who I could observe and who I talked to, a solid amount of American Boston-based sports fans who were just there for the spectacle.
And what a spectacle it was, thanks in equal parts to Haaland and a surprisingly apt, if spotty, performance from the Lions of Mesopotamia.
Gillette Stadium has a reputation for being in the middle of nowhere, 30 minutes outside Boston (an hour in peak traffic) in the small town of Foxborough. That said, it completely surpassed my expectations.
Practically attached to the stadium is Patriot Place, which is essentially an entire entertainment district hosting a large assortment of bars and shops, which filled up quickly with both Norway and Iraq supporters in the hours leading up to the match.
It began with Viking helmet-clad Norwegians leading chants outside bars and they were soon joined by masses of jumping and cheering Iraqis and both sides eventually met for some lighthearted standoffs which were just as thrilling in person as they appear on video.
As I made my way to the stadium, the first thing I noticed was how absolutely massive both it and the grounds surrounding it are. It was immediately obvious why it was chosen as a World Cup venue due to its substantial capacity, combined with the overall gameday experience provided by everything around it. It was truly a fantastic, state-of-the-art experience, even for someone who grew up attending NFL games.
As for the atmosphere, it felt every bit like the full World Cup experience that I had dreamt of. The crowd was electric with both sets of fans continuing to provide their own cultural flair.
The biggest highlight was the now-famous Norwegian row chant that kicked into full swing early in the first half.
And Haaland, almost as if he’d heard the cheers, seemed to respond and reward them just a few minutes later.
Yes, in just the 29th minute of his first-ever World Cup match, Haaland went ahead and did the thing that everyone in red and blue was hoping to see him do. The feeling of just being there to experience something iconic, just that little bit of World Cup history, is difficult to describe, but it makes any and all sacrifices made to reach that moment feel well worth it. And that’s just as a fan.
The top takeaway both I and the Bostonian next to me had from watching Haaland in person was that TV simply does not do his strength and closing speed justice. The way that he imposes himself on matches, as he did against Iraq, is truly impressive to witness.
It’s one thing to be technically gifted as a striker, but to be able to combine that with a killer instinct and his ability to use sheer size and speed to force defenders and even goalkeepers into mistakes is truly what makes Haaland such a special player.
Not to leave the Iraqis out, as both their fans and team showed up, particularly in flashes of brilliance in the first half. The Lions of Mesopotamia found an equalizer quickly after Norway was perhaps still caught in the emotional hangover of Haaland’s goal.
But just as the Iraqi celebrations had died down, Haaland was able to restore the one-goal lead, capitalizing on an ill-fated back pass to the keeper. From there, despite another brilliant attempt right at the stroke of halftime, Norway was able to take control of the match and score two more goals to salt away their first World Cup victory in nearly three decades.
Upon making my way to the parking lot, I realized that there is one major downside to Gillette Stadium, and it’s a pretty big one. All traffic leaving the stadium is congested onto Highway 1. It’s essentially a one-way-in, one-way-out venue, which complicated things especially for my plans.
In order to make the noon kickoff of Thursday’s Czechia vs. South Africa match in Atlanta, I had to hustle back to my hotel, which was about an hour and a half walk up the road to retrieve my car. The walk itself wasn’t bad, but the cars that consistently (and illegally) drove on the shoulder of the road made it a tad more dangerous than it needed to be. That said, I was determined not to wait for an Uber just to be stuck in the standstill traffic.
The good news was that when I reached my car, I was able to avoid any remaining traffic and begin the journey to Atlanta without much more delay.
Overall, as I said goodbye to both Boston and Foxborough, it would be impossible to describe the experience as anything less than unforgettable.
As my first ever World Cup match, I truly felt it had more than lived up to the hype, and the lingering excitement would be more than enough to fuel the long drive to Atlanta.