Manchester City striker Erling Haaland faced fierce criticism from Norwegian media on Sunday night following his country's 1-1 draw with Morocco in New Jersey. The 25-year-old, who scored 38 goals for City this season and won the Premier League Golden Boot with 27 strikes, made his return to action after being rested for the final match of the season against Aston Villa.
Haaland's underwhelming performance
Starting and playing 72 minutes, Haaland managed only four touches of the ball, had one shot which was blocked, and appeared to have a disagreement with a team physio. The display led to scathing reviews from Norwegian outlets. Dagsbladet awarded him a mere 2 out of 10, describing his performance as "shockingly weak" and noting he was "invisible in the first half." TV2 handed him a 3 out of 10, the lowest rating of any Norway player.
Solbakken defends his star
Despite the criticism, head coach Stale Solbakken rushed to Haaland's defence. "He's a player who feels it today. He needed those minutes. Without being rude to him, he saves himself five, 10, 15 per cent. Those explosions are coming," Solbakken said. The match was Norway's final warm-up before the World Cup, their first qualification since 1998.
Haaland is part of a perceived 'golden generation' alongside Arsenal's Martin Odegaard, former City star Oscar Bobb, and RB Leipzig's Antonio Nusa. Norway face a tough Group I, drawn with France, Senegal, and Iraq. They open their campaign against Iraq in Boston on June 16, knowing a win would put them in a strong position to reach the round of 32.
