"It helps to hide the hair, to be honest." That's Erling Haaland — one of the most recognisable athletes on the planet — explaining how a baseball cap and sunglasses got him through Times Square without a second glance.
While the rest of New York went about its Thursday, Haaland and partner Isabel Haugseng Johansen quietly toured the city's landmarks, posting photos outside Katz's Deli and in the middle of Times Square. Nobody noticed. Apparently, untying the bun is all it takes.
Norway's first World Cup in 28 years — and Haaland's already delivering
The low-key sightseeing came after Haaland scored twice in Norway's 4-1 demolition of Iraq in Boston — their first World Cup match since 1998. A 28-year wait, and the man repaid it in 90 minutes.
Coach Stale Solbakken rewarded the squad with a couple of days off, and was refreshingly blunt about it. "Everyone needs a little break. The guys benefit from clearing their minds a little, and getting away from me and others." Hard to argue with that logic after a performance like that.
Norway's next test is a serious step up. They face Senegal at the New York/New Jersey Stadium on June 22 — a side who lost their opener 3-1 to France but carry far more threat than Iraq. Group I is shaping up fast, and Norway's goal difference already looks useful if this thing goes to the wire.
Haaland arriving at that match rested, relaxed, and apparently invisible to the general public? That's not a bad sign for Norway's chances — or for anyone thinking about where the goals are going to come from in this group.
