Norway Cruise to 5-0 Victory Over Moldova in WC Qualifier
Norway kicked off their World Cup qualifying campaign in style, defeating Moldova 5-0. Erling Haaland and Julian Ryerson were among the scorers, as Norway secured a convincing victory in Chisinau.
Norway's quest to qualify for the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 24 years got off to a flying start, as they thrashed Moldova 5-0 in their opening match.
The convincing victory in Chisinau marked Norway's fifth win in their last six outings. In stark contrast, Moldova's defeat extended their winless run in World Cup qualifiers to 21 matches. Prior to this encounter, Moldova had enjoyed success on home soil against lower-ranked teams, winning their previous three games against opponents ranked 168th or lower. However, it quickly became apparent that Norway would pose a far greater challenge, as evidenced by their dominant display within the first five minutes of the match.
A costly collision between Moldova's goalkeeper, Dumitru Celeadnic, and teammate Artur Craciun led to Norway's opening goal. As Celeadnic attempted to catch a cross, he spilled the ball, allowing Thelo Aasgaard to pounce and set up Julian Ryerson for his first international goal.
Just 10 minutes later, Erling Haaland came close to doubling Norway's lead, but his volleyed effort narrowly cleared the crossbar. However, Haaland wouldn't be denied for long. Midway through the half, he slotted home Norway's second goal, capping off a beautifully crafted team move involving Martin Odegaard, Alexander Sorloth, and Andreas Schjelderup.
Moldova finally tested Norway's goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland, in the 33rd minute, but he was equal to the task, tipping Mihail Caimacov's free-kick over the bar. Norway promptly added a third goal, as Aasgaard capitalized on the home side's failure to clear an Odegaard corner, beating Celeadnic at the near post. Odegaard continued to wreak havoc, delivering another pinpoint corner just before halftime, which Sorloth expertly flicked into the far corner to make it 4-0 in favor of Norway.
Facing a seemingly insurmountable deficit, Moldova's team, led by Serghei Cleșcenco, focused on preventing a shutout in the second half. However, Norway's goalkeeper, Orjan Nyland, stood firm, making crucial saves from Nichita Moțpan and Ion Nicolaescu to preserve his clean sheet. At the other end, Dumitru Celeadnic produced an incredible save to deny Kristoffer Ajer's point-blank strike, momentarily thwarting Norway's quest for a fifth goal. Nevertheless, Norway's persistence eventually paid off in the 69th minute, as Julian Ryerson set up Aron Dønnum for a calm finish that sealed the 5-0 victory.
This convincing win marked Norway's third away victory in nine attempts and their second consecutive 5-0 triumph. In contrast, Moldova's winless streak against Norway extended to five matches, with the team still awaiting their first head-to-head victory.
No comments:
Leave comment here