Brazil and Norway Locked at 0-0 at Halftime, Penalty Miss Looms Large

The First Half

Brazil and Norway went into the break goalless Sunday at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in what has shaped up as one of the most tense knockout matches of the tournament. The biggest moment came in the 14th minute, when Matheus Cunha was brought down inside the penalty area and Brazil earned a spot kick. Bruno Guimaraes stepped up — and Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland saved it. Questions are already swirling about why Guimaraes was chosen to take the kick at all. He has no history of taking penalties for Brazil and has rarely done so at club level either. Vinicius Jr. was on the pitch and would have been the obvious choice.
Norway had a golden chance of their own early on. Patrick Berg drove a shot into the net, but the flag went up for offside and the goal was ruled out. Martin Odegaard also forced a save from Alisson Becker after latching onto a long ball over the top.

The Historical Backdrop

Norway have never lost to Brazil in a competitive match. Their four meetings have produced two Norway wins and two draws, including a famous 1998 World Cup group stage victory that eliminated Brazil from the top of the group. That record gives Norway a psychological edge that is hard to ignore when the match is this tight.
Norway are also playing in their first Round of 16 since that same 1998 tournament. For Brazil, the stakes are different — Carlo Ancelotti’s side are chasing a sixth world title and came into this match as tournament favorites after a dramatic 95th-minute comeback winner against Japan in the Round of 32.

The Setup

Brazil lined up with Alisson in goal, a back four of Danilo, Marquinhos, Gabriel Magalhaes and Douglas Santos, Casemiro and Guimaraes in midfield, and a front line of Rayan, Gabriel Martinelli, Vinicius Jr. and Cunha. Norway set up with Nyland in goal and Erling Haaland leading the attack, supported by Odegaard, Alexander Sorloth and Antonio Nusa.

What’s Next

The winner advances to the quarterfinal, where they will face either England or Mexico. That match is being played simultaneously in Mexico City. The winner of Brazil-Norway plays in Miami on Saturday.

Analyst’s Take

Brazil are the better team on paper, but missing a penalty and allowing Norway to control large stretches of the first half has handed the initiative to the underdogs. If Norway score first in the second half, Brazil’s path back becomes very difficult. Ancelotti will need to make a call at halftime — likely bringing Raphinha off the bench to add creativity — because the current setup has not created enough clear chances. Norway, for their part, have done exactly what they needed to do in the first 45 minutes.
Source: ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports, Outlook India