Erling Haaland scored two late goals to send Norway through to their first World Cup quarterfinal with a stunning 2-1 win over Brazil,  which condemned the five-time champions to their earliest exit since 1990.

Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland produced a sensational display on Sunday and saved a first-half penalty from Bruno Guimaraes before Haaland struck twice in the last 11 minutes to stun Brazil at New York New Jersey Stadium.

Neymar pulled a goal back deep into stoppage time with Brazil’s second spot kick of the match.

Haaland’s brace took him level with Lionel Messi on seven goals for the tournament as Norway booked a showdown against either cohosts Mexico or England  in Miami on July 11.

For Brazil, who hired Carlo Ancelotti in a bid to end a 24-year World Cup drought, it is the sixth straight tournament they have been knocked out by European opposition.

The last time Brazil failed to reach at least the quarterfinals came 36 years ago, when they lost 1-0 to archrivals Argentina in the last 16.

Gabriel Martinelli was rewarded for scoring the stoppage-time winner against Japan in the previous round, as the Arsenal winger replaced the injured Lucas Paqueta in the lone change to Brazil’s lineup.

Norway were boosted by the return of Julian Ryerson, the Borussia Dortmund defender fit again after missing the past two games with a thigh injury.

Patrick Berg thought he had given Norway the lead inside three minutes, but his effort was ruled out for offside in the build-up.

After a rocky start, Brazil won a penalty when Kristoffer Ajer clattered into Matheus Cunha in the box.

The Brazilians were left furious as referee Ismail Elfath initially waved away their appeals, but VAR intervened, and the decision was overturned.

Guimaraes stepped up, but Nyland guessed correctly, diving low to his left to push away the Newcastle midfielder’s tame penalty.

Nyland again came to Norway’s rescue, getting a crucial touch to Martinelli’s low drive as it flashed across goal, denying Guimaraes a simple tap-in.

When Martin Odegaard lost possession on the edge of his own box, Nyland once more saved Norway as he stuck out a leg to thwart Vinicius Junior.

Haaland had struggled to make a significant impact, but his strength created a glorious opening for Norway before half-time.

The striker caused problems for Gabriel Magalhaes and Marquinhos in the Brazil defence before the ball broke kindly for Odegaard, whose effort was well saved by Alisson.

Norway coach Stale Solbakken brought on Oscar Bobb and Andreas Schjelderup at the break for Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sorloth, but it was the introduction of Endrick that almost changed the game immediately.

Vinicius Junior slipped Endrick through on goal with a delightful outside-of-the-foot pass, only for the teenager to dink wide as Nyland came out to close him down.

Nyland continued to frustrate Brazil, producing a good save to claw away Rayan’s fierce strike before making another outstanding stop to deny Guimaraes, although the offside flag went up.

The arrival of Neymar in the 67th minute drew huge roars from the largely pro-Brazil crowd.

It was Norway who eventually broke the deadlock, though, and it came through an inevitable source.

Schjelderup whipped in a cross from the left and soared above Gabriel to power a header into the corner.

As Brazil desperately chased an equaliser, an incredible fingertip save from a back-pedalling Nyland prevented Ajer from looping the ball into his own net.

Haaland gave Norway breathing space as he hammered low into the corner from the edge of the box in the 90th minute.

It proved vital when Neymar converted a penalty in the 10th minute of stoppage time, preceded by an unseemly spat with Nyland, following an elbow on Casemiro.

Visiting Lord’s is always a special occasion. The place leaves an indelible mark on everyone who walks through its gates, even if only once. Popularly known as the Home of Cricket, Lord’s houses the England and Wales Cricket Board, the Marylebone Cricket Club, custodians of the Laws of the game, and at one stage, even the International Cricket Council before Indian cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya broke with tradition and moved the organisation’s headquarters to Dubai.

The Lord’s Pavilion, dressing rooms, museum and the famous Long Room are every cricketer’s delight. It becomes even more special if you manage to get your name on the Honours Boards. Rumesh Ratnayake, Sidath Wettimuny, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara and Angelo Mathews, to name just a few, have all achieved that distinction.

Aravinda de Silva may not have his name on the board, but he certainly left his mark at Lord’s. In the Benson and Hedges Cup final, he produced a stunning century for Kent against Lancashire, taking on Wasim Akram and company. It is not often that a player ends up on the losing side and is still named Man of the Match, but Aravinda’s charm was such that the organizers made an exception.

Sangakkara too enjoyed some unforgettable moments at Lord’s. MCC President Christopher Martin Jenkins invited him to deliver the prestigious Cowdrey Lecture and he produced one of the finest speeches the game has heard. The address received a standing ovation and many Sri Lankans in attendance, including former Board President Vijaya Malalasekera, were moved to tears.

It was also at Lord’s that Sri Lanka lifted the Emirates Trophy, two years after becoming World Champions.

Several Test matches involving Sri Lanka at Lord’s are fondly remembered. Their inaugural Test at the venue in 1984 is recalled for its batting feast. Duleep Mendis was so dominant that he forced England’s golden boy Ian Botham to resort to off-spin, while narrowly missing centuries in both innings.

In 2006, after being bowled out for 192 and conceding a first innings deficit of 360, Sri Lanka were asked to follow on. They responded with one of the finest rearguard actions in their Test history.

Batting for almost three days, a majestic century by captain Mahela Jayawardene, backed by six half-centuries from his teammates, earned Sri Lanka a memorable draw.

Four years earlier, they had England firmly on the ropes. After piling up more than 550 runs and securing a first-innings lead of nearly 300, Sri Lanka enforced the follow-on. But a string of dropped catches in the slips denied them what would have been a famous victory at Lord’s.

The 2014 Test, of course, went right down to the wire. England thought they had sealed victory when last man Nuwan Pradeep was given out in the final over. Fortunately, in the pre-Niroshan Dickwella era, Sri Lanka used the Decision Review System judiciously. With one review still available, Pradeep challenged the decision and it was overturned, much to Sri Lanka’s delight. The match ended in a draw and Sri Lanka went on to win the next Test at Headingley, securing their first ever Test series victory in England.

A Test win at Lord’s, however, still remains elusive.

Several Sri Lankans have also made Lord’s their home ground while representing Middlesex in county cricket. Chaminda Vaas is the most celebrated among them. But almost a century before Vaas, there was Dr Churchill Gunasekara, the first Ceylonese to play County cricket. He was a member of Middlesex’s County Championship-winning sides in 1920 and 1921.

Rex Clementine
in London

Defending champion Dinara de Silva displayed remarkable grit and determination to retain the Women’s Open Singles title at the 111th Vision Care Colombo Championship after edging Yuhansa Peiris in a gripping three-set final at the Sri Lanka Tennis Association clay courts.

‎Dinara prevailed 7-6, 0-6, 7-6 in an epic contest that lasted three hours and 50 minutes, successfully defending her title which she won last year. The closely fought encounter saw both players display tremendous resilience, with Dinara holding her nerve in two tense tie-breaks to seal one of the most memorable finals of the tournament. Despite being blanked in the second set, the defending champion fought back superbly to clinch victory in the decider and retain her crown.

‎In the Men’s Open Singles final, Thehan Wijemanne delivered a commanding performance to defeat Luca Knese 6-2, 6-2 and secure his second Colombo Championship men’s singles title. Thehan dominated the final from the outset with aggressive play and consistent shot-making, allowing his opponent little opportunity to settle into the match.

‎The twin victories capped another successful edition of Sri Lanka’s oldest and most prestigious ‘A’ Grade tennis tournament, which attracted the country’s leading players to the SLTA clay courts. The championship continues to serve as a major platform for the nation’s top tennis talent while further strengthening the local competitive circuit.