Brazil have been everything you'd hope from a Ancelotti-coached Seleção: free, fast, and only occasionally terrifying. They won their group with three wins and a draw, then needed a Gabriel Martinelli finish in the 95th minute to see off Japan in the Round of 32. There is a recurring pattern of Brazil doing things the hard way — but they keep doing them. Vinicius Júnior has been outstanding with four goals; Matheus Cunha is the tournament's most underrated striker with three of his own. Bruno Guimarães orchestrates with four assists from midfield. This is, despite the late dramatics, a very good Brazil side.
Norway have been the tournament's great story. Erling Haaland — on his first major tournament appearance, at 25, with an entire country behind him — has five World Cup goals. Five. He has scored in every match. He has scored against teams that tried to pack the box. He has scored against teams that pressed high. He has scored from corners. Martin Ødegaard has provided three assists and is controlling matches from a deep-lying position with the kind of elegance that makes you wonder why Arsenal doesn't always play him this way. Norway 2-1 Ivory Coast in the Round of 32. They are here. They belong here.
Ancelotti's Brazil stretch the pitch wide with Vinicius on the left and Raphinha (who returned to training after injury) or a rotated attacker on the right. The key is the diagonal — when Vinicius drifts centrally and Cunha drops, Brazil create overloads in the half-spaces that are almost impossible to mark out. Norway's back line will be defending Vinicius's movement for 90 minutes and running out of answers. Guimarães plays the pivot role, releasing at precisely the right moment.
Norway play a high defensive line, which is brave when your centre-backs are being asked to mark Vinicius Júnior. Their plan revolves around Haaland: when the ball goes to him, Norway become a different team. He holds it up, draws contact, and slips combinations to Ødegaard arriving from deep. If Brazil give him the first touch in the box even once, it's a goal. Their press from the front has been exceptional — Norway win the ball high and transition through Haaland faster than any other team at this tournament.
Brazil attack from the first whistle. Vinicius Júnior cuts inside on the left, slips the ball to Matheus Cunha, who flicks it to Bruno Guimarães arriving late — 1–0 to Brazil in the 23rd minute, a goal that encapsulates everything this Seleção can do when the combinations click.
Norway regroup. Haaland drops deeper, linking play rather than hunting the box. Martin Ødegaard finds pockets constantly. In the 61st minute, Haaland holds up play on the edge of the Brazilian box, spins, and rolls a finish into the corner. Alisson dives the wrong way. 1–1. MetLife Stadium reaches a different level of noise.
Brazil hit back almost immediately. Vinicius receives the ball on the left flank in the 74th minute and simply does not stop — past one, past two, low finish. 2–1. Norway push for an equalizer and nearly find it, but Alisson makes a save in the 88th minute to preserve the Brazilian lead. Brazil advance. They will not want to do it the hard way again.
Arriving late into the box off a two-touch combination, this is his World Cup goal. The man with four assists finally gets on the scoresheet where it matters most.
Goal number six. Because of course it is. He holds, he spins, he finishes. Norway are level.
Solo goal. 1v2. Doesn't matter. Brazil advance.
Five goals at his first World Cup. 25 years old. Playing in a Norway side that no one expected to be here. If he scores tonight — which is his base case — it will be six goals in five matches, and every serious conversation about who wins the Golden Boot runs through him. Watch Norway's first corner of the match. He will drift to the back post and he will be unmarked.