England Secures Semifinal Berth
England has advanced to the World Cup semifinals for the first time since 2018, following a 2-1 victory over Norway in Miami Gardens, Florida. The match, played on Saturday, saw Jude Bellingham score both goals for England, including the equalizer in the first half and the decisive go-ahead goal in the third minute of extra time.
Bellingham’s performance earned him a serenade from England fans, who sang “Hey Jude.” The Real Madrid star has now matched Harry Kane with six goals in the tournament. Bellingham also scored twice in the round of 16 when England defeated co-host Mexico.
The victory places England, a winner of the 1966 World Cup, one win away from returning to the title match. England is set to face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals. The match was played in challenging conditions, with temperatures reaching 33 degrees Celsius (92 degrees Fahrenheit) during warmups in South Florida.
Controversy Surrounds Equalizing Goal
The match featured a moment of controversy surrounding England’s equalizing goal. A goal kick taken by Norway goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland appeared to make contact with an aerial camera cable late in the first half. The ball’s trajectory seemingly changed, suggesting it brushed one of the cables used to suspend a robotically controlled camera. Seconds after this apparent contact, the ball was controlled by England’s Elliot Anderson and eventually played to Bellingham, who scored with a low shot to the far post.
According to tournament rules, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play should have been stopped, and a drop ball would have been used to determine possession. Despite the apparent contact, the match was not interrupted. FIFA later stated that there was “no evidence” the ball touched the wire, citing technology within the ball. FIFA clarified that the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in its “heartbeat” when in the air, indicating no contact and no change in the ball’s movement.
Norway’s coach, Ståle Solbakken, along with Nyland and star striker Erling Haaland, expressed their frustration to referee Clement Turpin after the play and heading into halftime. Solbakken recounted that the referee did not see the incident himself and received no message about it. While Solbakken maintained that the ball did touch the cable, he emphasized that this incident was not the reason Norway lost, stating, “Let’s not make this the story of the match.”
Norway’s Performance and Coach’s Comments
Norway had taken the lead in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup scored, stunning an England team that had largely dominated possession. Schjelderup, making only his second start of the tournament, fired a shot that caromed off the right post and into the net. He had previously set up both of Haaland’s goals in Norway’s round of 16 victory against Brazil.
Norway nearly extended their lead in the 56th minute when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford after a corner kick. However, this goal was disallowed following a video review due to a foul by Haaland in the box. Haaland, who was held scoreless for the first time in this World Cup, also had a point-blank header denied by Pickford in the first half.
England coach Thomas Tuchel expressed mixed feelings about his team’s performance, despite the victory. In an interview, he stated, “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but not happy with the performance … in every sense.” Tuchel later clarified in a news conference that he was “proud and happy” with his squad’s ability to overcome adversity, but also noted his demands for faster and more clinical play. Bellingham, however, seemed to disagree with his coach’s critique, acknowledging the tough conditions and praising his teammates’ effort.
Haaland, the Manchester City star, was substituted in the second half of extra time. Solbakken noted that it was not a difficult decision to remove Haaland, suggesting he was fatigued and had also sustained a dead leg in the second half. Solbakken stated, “He did everything he could.”
Before the match, a brief moment of silence was observed in honour of Jayden Adams, a 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa, whose death was announced earlier on Saturday.
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Source: tsn.ca
