German media knew a young star was on
the way. But no one could possibly have
imagined him immediately ending up in
the stratosphere.
Early in January, 10 days before his
debut for the club, the cover of Kicker
summed up the general mood by stating:
“The Great Hope. Dortmund bet on Erling
Haaland. But the 19-year-old will not
solve all their problems on his own.”
Yet the left-footer seems to have done
just that. First and foremost he is the
striker Dortmund have lacked for years:
a voraciously hungry
seeker of goals, a tall and
muscular advanced focal
point, excellent in his
combination play and
movement, and imbued
with an impressive work
ethic both on and off the
ball. Deceptively quick,
he is in his element when
loitering on the shoulder
of the last defender. Teams who aim to
counter Dortmund with a high defensive
line are asking for trouble.
Thanks in no small part to him,
Dortmund have become a completely
different attacking proposition. Going
forward they were essentially a troupe
of roving ball-artists prior to his arrival.
These days they attack with more
directness and aggression. Haaland
has brought a single-mindedness to the
mix, with straight-for-goal effectiveness
prioritised over the decorative.
The teen has also
sparked a change in
attitude at Dortmund. His
energy, will to win and
positive body language
have undoubtedly rubbed
off on his team-mates and
there is far less mental
flakiness in the ranks. Nor
is it a coincidence that the
Ruhr giants are much-improved defensively. The threat of
Haaland is forcing opponents to be
more conservative, sitting back in greater
numbers and wary of flooding forward.
The Dortmund rearguard is thus enjoying
some respite. The fear factor works.
“Haaland is a full-on type who can
bring others along with him through his
personality,” says Zorc. “He’s the complete
package and is good for us.”
Dortmund are reaping a substantial
Haaland bonus on other fronts too. In
the first week of January the club sold
5,000 of his number 17 shirt and at the
Westfalenstadion there is a palpable buzz
of excitement every time he approaches
the ball. Dortmund fans, connoisseurs of
whole-hearted talent, know a good thing
when they see it and they sense a brave
new world on the horizon.
One player may not make a team but,
as Erling Haaland has shown, the right
acquisition can light a fuse. Stand well
back. The explosion is ongoing.Erling Haaland
Family affair...with
his dad, former
Norway international
Alf-Inge HaalandKey...he has
quickly become
the focal point of
Dortmund’s attack