Match Preview: Côte d'Ivoire vs. Norway - Haaland meets the wall

One hour before kickoff, this stopped being a vibes preview. Norway have put Erling Haaland and Martin Odegaard back in from the start; Côte d'Ivoire have answered by adding midfield weight, not another winger. 1

Kickoff is noon in Arlington, 1 p.m. ET / 10 a.m. PT at Dallas Stadium. The winner gets Brazil in East Rutherford on July 5. 2

Côte d'Ivoire are in a men's World Cup knockout match for the first time after beating Ecuador and Curaçao in Group E. Norway arrived here with wins over Iraq and Senegal, then used the France game as a full reset button; Haaland has four goals in two tournament appearances. 3

That makes the matchup brutally simple. Ivory Coast need Franck Kessié and Ibrahim Sangaré to make the middle of the pitch ugly before Odegaard can turn and feed Haaland. Norway need patience, because this is the kind of opponent that turns one loose pass into a sprinting attack through Yan Diomande or Nicolas Pepe.

Julian Ryerson is out for Norway, so the wide defending matters. Côte d'Ivoire have Ghislain Konan and Emmanuel Agbadou back, while Christ Inao Oulai starts in Amad Diallo's place. 1 That is a coach choosing grip over sparkle.

Norway 2-1 after extra time. Côte d'Ivoire have enough pace to scare them, but if the game becomes one clean chance each, Haaland is the worst possible man to leave waiting.

Quote of the Day: "The match winner will have a little bit of luck on their side. It will be that close." - Stale Solbakken. 4