David vs Goliath: When New Zealand took on Haaland, and won – 1News

Erling Haaland is the hottest name in world football right now.

Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring against Manchester United. (Source: Associated Press)

The burly Norwegian striker has taken the Premier League by storm, scoring an incredible 15 goals in his first nine league games for Manchester City, as well as a further five in three Champions League games.

The 22-year-old's already demolished some long-standing records and is on track to score the most goals in a Premier League season. Some believe he could go on to be one of, if not the greatest striker of all time.

Yet just three years ago, he was walking off the pitch frustrated after a 2-0 defeat to surprise package New Zealand, a result that essentially knocked Norway out of the 2019 FIFA Under-20 World Cup in Poland.

Norway had come into the tournament on a hot streak, having defeated defending champions England in qualifying.

New Zealands coach Des Buckingham told 1News Norway had some quality players, but Haaland was the standout.

Hed moved from Molde, where he was under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer at the time, and signed for Red Bull Salzburg for about 8 or 10 million euros, which for an 18 or 19-year-old at the time is a big move. We knew they would be a very tough challenge.

George Stanger from New Zealand U20 fights for the ball with Erling Haland from Norway U20. (Source: Photosport)

But Buckingham said his side were focussed on their own game and how they wanted to play, rather than the resume of opposition players.

It was a mindset shift. It wasnt about worrying about the opposition, it was we have the players and this is about us.

Buckingham described the match as a game of chess.

They had some real qualities but we stuck true to what we said we were going to. The players in terms of the gameplan and showing what they could do were fantastic.

In the first half, Haaland got in behind the Kiwi defence, racing away with the ball from the halfway line and finding himself in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Michael Woud.

But rather than shoot, he tried to square the ball to his teammate in the centre of the box. The pass was mistimed and failed to find its target. New Zealand survived.

I remember after the game one of our members of staff said the boy that played up top is valued at around 20 million pounds, and we all kinda laughed because he was stuck in our centre backs pocket all game, Nando Pjaniker

The game remained level until deep in the second half when Kiwi midfielder Gianni Stensness (now a full Australian international) broke the deadlock with a long-range rocket into the top corner.

Sitting on the bench was teammate Matt Conroy, who said he was shocked by the goal.

Id never seen that from him beforeit was kind of like delirium.

Buckingham described it as one of the goals of the tournament.

Rather than sit back, New Zealand continued to press on and were rewarded in the dying minutes as a cross from Elijah Just was deflected into the net by a Norwegian defender.

The 2-0 victory for the Kiwis saw them through to the round of 16, having already demolished Honduras 5-0 in the opening game. It was the first time New Zealand had won two games at a single under-20 World Cup.

Erling Haaland of Norway looks dejected after defeat in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup group C match between Norway and New Zealand. (Source: Getty)

Their efforts meant Norway were on the precipice of being knocked out, having also lost to Uruguay in the opening game.

Despite being one of the biggest prospects at the tournament, Haaland had failed to score in both games. Members of that New Zealand side admit they didnt see him becoming the player he is today.

Id be lying if I sat here and said hed be doing what he is now, Conroy said.

I remember after the game one of our members of staff said the boy that played up top is valued at around 20 million pounds, and we all kinda laughed because he was stuck in our centre backs pocket all game, Nando Pjaniker.

But in the final group game a dead rubber against Honduras Haaland made sure he didnt go home quietly, scoring an incredible nine goals in a 12-0 win. While the victory wasnt enough to see Norway through to the next round, his efforts won him the tournaments golden boot, with the next top scorer only managing four goals in over double the games.

He put the world on notice, Conroy recalled of Haalands feat against Honduras.

I like to think the game that made him was our game [against Norway]. We pushed him to have a game like that and show the world what hes really about.

While Haaland and Norways tournament was over, New Zealands journey was in full swing.

The team had been playing high-paced, high-pressing football and dominating possession, something that had not been seen before by a New Zealand side.

I dont want to come to this World Cup and try not to lose games. I feel that we have the players to do something special.

Buckingham said it was all part of a plan designed when he first got the job in 2018.

"I arrived with pretty much a blank slate and a blank canvas.

"Rather than holding camps, which we didnt have the resource to do, I got around the country. I think of the 365 days leading into that World Cup, I spent 210 days away from my home visiting clubs and visiting players because the feel was to go and see them in their environments where you can actually see them behave a lot more naturally than they might if they arrived into a camp."

Buckingham said he went to each National League club and spent four or five days attending trainings, team meetings, and getting to know the players at a deeper level.

Prior to the tournament, Buckingham invited Christian Penny from High Performance Sport New Zealand to run a four-day camp with the squad to try and develop a culture and meaning around what it meant to wear the fern.

Buckingham said up until that point players were proud to wear the fern, but didn't have much of a sense about what that really meant.

Over the week, work was done to intertwine football with New Zealand-specific culture.

This included a whakatau - a welcome ceremony - and a pepeha session, where players introduced themselves to the rest of the squad, revealing where they came from and what was important to them.

Buckingham said this work "had the biggest impact I've ever seen in a sporting world".

"It brought together 21 young men from nine different environments so close together with a shared purpose so quickly.

"Off the field it was something no other country could replicate and on the field...we wanted to change the way that New Zealand football played on the world stage.

In the 17 games at the Under-20 World Cup [before this tournament], New Zealand had only won two. They were always a team that at under-20s level were out-possessed, out-passed, out-shot.

I said to them I dont want to come to this World Cup and try not to lose games. I feel that we have the players to do something special and change not just the mindset of how we approach these tournaments, but we can go on and can beat these nations.

Gianni Stensness from New Zealand U20 celebrates with team mates after scoring against Norway. (Source: Photosport)

The plan worked. Two wins and two clean sheets from their opening two games at the tournament saw them through to the round-of-16 with a game in hand.

It allowed the squad to be rotated for the final group game against Uruguay, allowing players like Conroy and goalkeeper Cameron Brown the opportunity to start for the first time in the tournament.

Uruguay were top of the group, having also defeated Norway and Honduras, and their squad featured current Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez and Barcelona defender Ronald Araujo.

A household name for global football fans in 2022 following his NZ$130 million to Anfield, Nunez was still plying his trade for Penarol in his home country at the time of the Under-20 World Cup in 2019.

However, he was quickly showcasing his talent to the world, and his opposition, scoring a brilliant volley against Norway in Uruguay's opening game to lead his side to victory.

He proved to be decisive against New Zealand too.

With the two teams evenly matched, it was Nunez who broke the deadlock late in the first half, latching onto a whipped cross into the middle of the box and smashing the ball past a helpless Brown and into the top corner.

"Hes that out-and-out striker with that instinct. Even then, he knew where to be. [For the goal] the ball was cut back and he was in the perfect spot and leathered it top corner," Brown said, "You could see he was a good player."

Despite the setback, New Zealand remained in the game, with Joe Bell nearly equalising in the second half, his shot from the left side of the box sailing the wrong side of the post.

Uruguay sealed the game with a goal in injury time, taking a 2-0 win and topping the group.

The result left the New Zealand players feeling disappointed, although Brown said that showed how much belief the side had in their abilities, and the amount of talent coming through the ranks in New Zealand.

"To be disappointed with a loss against Uruguay really shows the standard of players here in New Zealand. To look back on it its pretty cool, its definitely one of the highlights of my career so far," Brown told 1News.

The two teams mingled in the changing sheds after the game, with some players swapping shirts. Conroy arrived late and got whistled over to a corner of the room "by a player talking with a bit of broken English".

"[He was] calling out my number to swap shirts," Conroy recalled.

"It was Darwin Nunez so I've got his Uruguay shirt at home which is quite cool."

It's an unreal thing to bring up around your mates because they all get a buzz off it.

A grinning Conroy said it had since become a popular story to tell his friends.

"It's an unreal thing to bring up around your mates because they all get a buzz off it. For me I think it highlights the opportunities you get playing at those tournaments.

"When I did that there was no way I could even fathom that Id be sitting down and watching the opening day of the Premier League season and hes just been signed by Liverpool. Its a cool moment and shows the hard work you put into it can pay off by having the shirt, let alone sharing a pitch with someone thats doing it at the highest level week in week out."

New Zealand faced Colombia in the round of 16, where their tournament ended in a heartbreaking penalty shootout following a 1-1 draw.

All Whites team huddle before their World Cup playoff against Costa Rica. (Source: Photosport)

While unable to become the first New Zealand under-20 side to make the quarterfinals of a World Cup, the players and staff look back on the tournament fondly, and hope their style of football can be translated to the senior side in years to come.

"I think for New Zealand were in a really positive place at the moment in our football. That tournament did flip a switch in many peoples minds that we can compete on the big stage. Theres players playing Premier League, Champions League, Serie A, its a really positive time," Conroy said.

"Even at grassroots level, clubs are starting to put an emphasis on development and developing players in this country. I think people are starting to fall in love with football a little bit more."

Buckingham said it wasn't just a one-off performance, but something that should now be expected by New Zealand football fans.

"We have good players. It was about building a framework around them and allow them to fill it and showcase what they could do.

"I think its quite exciting, especially this crop of young players surrounded some really good seniors. Its exciting now and I think for the next four to six years its a really good time for this group to really go and show what they can do. We have the players to do that and itll be good to see where they can go."

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David vs Goliath: When New Zealand took on Haaland, and won - 1News