Towering. That’s the first word that flashes through the mind when one sees Erlang Haaland line up for his team on the football pitch. Standing next to his teammates, professional athletes who are themselves giants in the land of mortals, Haaland’s almost mythical presence casts an aura that mesmerizes the world.
After getting used to the giant frame of the Norwegian standing across the field, the uninitiated defender would think that he would have the same presence as any tall striker who mostly stands in penalty boxes, waiting for the ball to be pinged towards his head in hope of rippling the back of the net. This is exactly when that freakish speed hits them, and by the time the hapless defender realizes what has happened, Haaland is wheeling away in celebration.
It’s like he sprouts extra limbs in an opponent’s penalty box, capable of scoring from any position or from any part of his body, be it his head, shins, or legs. Take his recent goal against Seville in the Champions League for example, when a Kevin de Brynn cross evaded everyone before a flying leg of the Norwegian found the ball and just caressed it into the net. Or the goal against Aston Villa, where he took flight, got his feet to a curling de Brynn delivery just near the far post, and slotted it home.
He is exactly the missing piece of the puzzle City needed after the departure of Sergio Aguero, and it’s scary how fast the goal machine has adapted himself to Pep Guardiola’s style of play. He may have far fewer touches than his teammates, but his every movement and every contribution to the ball results in a chance or a goal.
Eventually, these two entities will form a proper symbiotic relationship which will create havoc for defenses around the world and may even get the City the elusive Champion's League crown. Despite a working adaptation to City’s gameplay, Haaland has net 12 times in all competitions. It’s scary to think what would happen when they play in total synergy.
If you build a perfect center-forward from the ground up, chances are that he would look like Haaland. With his sizable frame, he can hold up play as well as involve his teammates. He also has rapid pace, which helps him run behind defenders and can score goals with both feet.
He often comes deep to help in the link-up play, feeds his teammate the ball, and turns around and runs towards the opponent’s goal in the hope of getting a return ball in behind the defense. This is one of his most lethal attributes. The defenders do not know what hit them when his freakish speed gets the better of them when a ball is played. Also, he does not run in a straight line, but rather diverts his path to move towards the direction of the ball. This constant movement is a nightmare for defenders to deal with.
Haaland is also a striker who uses his hands to indicate to his teammate exactly where to put the ball through and when he gets the space, however small it might be, he runs, occupies that space and takes the ball, while guarding it with his body. For example, in the Crystal Palace match, he pointed to Gondolas exactly where he wanted the ball, which was in between two central defenders. When it was played, he took the ball in his stride, shielded it from the defender who was on his back the whole time, and finished it calmly to complete his hat trick.
Another exceptional attribute this 22-year-old goal machine possesses is the nature of his goal scoring. He can generate freakish power from his shots, but more often than not it’s his placement that catches the eye. Coming one-on-one with an opponent goalkeeper, a lot of times strikers tend to overplay in the box, like feinting the goalie and scoring or just chipping it over him.
Haaland, however, does not prefer taking that extra touch. He mostly finishes it with a low curling placement around the goalie or just takes a shot while carrying the ball without taking much time or touches in the box. This snapshot does not give his opponents enough time to react, and more often than not the ball is found nestled at the back of the net.
On Saturday, Manchester City will play Tottenham, a team which has its own center forward in Harry Kane who comes deep and spreads the ball around before sprinting ahead in the channels down the middle in order to create a shooting chance. The duel between these two world-class strikers will be mouthwatering. With the added caveat of securing the top spot on the table with both teams just 1 point short of league leaders Arsenal.
You must be logged in to post a comment.