EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Carlo Ancelotti isn’t buying the narrative that Sunday’s World Cup matchup comes down to one man. Sure, Erling Haaland is the guy who terrifies defenses for a living. But the Brazil coach says treating this like a solo mission is a mistake.
Brazil faces Norway in the round of 16 at MetLife Stadium, and the storyline has been written a thousand times already: Can the Selecao’s center backs keep Haaland quiet long enough to survive? Ancelotti is tired of hearing it framed that way.
“I don’t think that there is such a thing as an ‘anti-Haaland’ plan,” Ancelotti said at his pre-match press conference. “I don’t need to tell my players how to defend. They have faced each other a few times.”
He’s not wrong. Arsenal’s Gabriel Magalhaes and PSG’s Marquinhos have both lined up against Haaland in club competition. They know the drill. Ancelotti’s point is that Norway isn’t a one-trick pony. They’re structured, organized, and dangerous in ways that go beyond their star striker.
“Norway is a challenging team, a team that has structure, has very good organization,” Ancelotti said. “We have to play at our best level. But I think we are at a time when we can do that, because we are confident and came out of a challenging last match against Japan.”
That game against Japan was closer than Brazil wanted. They trailed before Gabriel Martinelli scored in stoppage time to win it. The kind of game that exposes cracks and then covers them up with a result. Ancelotti admitted his team still needs to improve.
Norway’s coach isn’t blinking either
Stale Solbakken knows his team walks in as the underdog. Brazil is Brazil, six-time World Cup champions, loaded with talent at every position. But Solbakken also knows he has Haaland, and that counts for something.
“Brazil has one of the best pairs of defenders in this tournament, two players who are at a top-notch international level,” Solbakken said. “There will be some tough duels between them and Erling. But it is more Brazil versus Norway for me.”
He’s pushing back on the same narrow framing as Ancelotti. Both coaches want the story to be about the full 90 minutes, not just the moments when Haaland and Gabriel collide. That’s smart, because if Brazil loads up solely on Haaland, Norway’s supporting cast could make them pay.
Solbakken called Brazil the favorites — because they are — but left the door open just a crack. “We are hopeful that we will give them a match. And we must be at our very, very best, otherwise we don’t have a chance.”
That’s not false modesty. It’s reality.
Injury updates on both sides
Brazil will be without midfielder Lucas Paqueta, who pulled up with a hamstring issue against Japan. That’s a real loss. Paqueta has been the connective tissue in midfield for this team. On the bright side, Barcelona winger Raphinha could return after dealing with a thigh injury. His pace on the wing would give Brazil another outlet against a compact Norway defense.
Norway might get Julian Ryerson back. The Dortmund fullback missed time with a thigh injury of his own, and Solbakken said he expects him to be available. Defender Holmgren Pedersen is being monitored after what the coach described as “coughing and rasping.” Not ideal, but not a confirmed absence either.
What’s actually at stake
It’s not just a quarterfinal spot. The winner gets either England or co-host Mexico. That’s a monstrous game regardless of which side you’re on. Brazil came into this tournament as one of the favorites, and losing in the round of 16 would be a disaster by their standards. For Norway, getting this far is already an achievement. Winning would be a program-defining moment.
Ancelotti isn’t interested in the romantic version of that story. He just wants his team to execute. “Everyone knows how he works,” Ancelotti said of Haaland. “I have nothing to explain to my defenders about how to play against him.”
Sunday will tell us whether that confidence is justified or if Haaland makes them regret it.
Leave a Comment