Hundreds of Norway Fans Stage Viking Row in Times Square Before 8 p.m. Senegal Match

Q: Will Erling Haaland's scoring prowess shatter Senegal's defense, or can the African powerhouse contain Europe's most feared striker?

Haaland is more likely than not to make an impact, but Senegal have the tools to stop him from taking over the match on his own. The evidence points both ways. Haaland arrives in strong form after scoring twice in Norway’s 4-1 win over Iraq, and Norway’s attack is not built around him alone. Martin Ødegaard’s creativity, plus the pace of Antonio Nusa and Oscar Bobb, means Senegal cannot simply crowd Haaland and ignore the rest. Norway also come in with major momentum after an unbeaten qualifying run in which they scored 37 goals in eight games. Still, Senegal are far better equipped defensively than Iraq. Coach Pape Thiaw has made clear the plan is not man-marking Haaland but defending Norway collectively, staying compact and disrupting Ødegaard’s supply line. That approach matters, because Haaland is most dangerous when service arrives early and in space. Senegal’s back line, led by the experienced Kalidou Koulibaly, has faced elite forwards before and has the physical profile to compete with him. The warning sign for Senegal is their recent vulnerability at World Cups and the 3-1 loss to France, when they were punished for lapses and struggled once Kylian Mbappé found rhythm. Haaland’s movement and finishing can create similar problems if Senegal lose concentration. The likeliest outcome is not Haaland “shattering” Senegal on his own, but still finding chances and possibly scoring unless Senegal execute a disciplined, team-wide defensive plan for the full 90 minutes.

3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Jun 22

Hundreds of Norwegian supporters gathered in Times Square on June 21 to perform the "Viking Row" hours before Norway’s second Group I match against Senegal at New York New Jersey Stadium.
The sendoff came with Norway atop the group after a convincing win over Iraq, with Monday night’s game offering a chance to strengthen its position before a finale against France.
Erling Haaland remains Senegal’s main concern, but reserve goalkeeper Mory Diaw said Norway cannot be reduced to one player because the striker depends on his teammates.
Coach Pepe Thiaw said Senegal’s plan starts with containing Haaland, arguing his defenders have faced elite forwards before in top-level competitions.