England secured a 2-1 victory over Norway in their World Cup quarter-final match, advancing to the semifinals. The win came after extra-time, with Jude Bellingham scoring both goals for England.
The match, played in Miami, saw Norway take an early lead through Andreas Schjelderup in their first-ever quarter-final appearance. However, Bellingham equalised for England just before half-time.
The conditions were challenging, with temperatures remaining above 30 degrees Celsius and high humidity, which visibly affected both teams as the game progressed into extra-time.
Controversial equaliser and disallowed goals
Norway initially took the lead in the 36th minute. Schjelderup finished from the left side of the penalty area, putting England under pressure. Bellingham then scored England’s first goal in first-half stoppage time, levelling the score at 1-1.
However, replays of Bellingham’s equaliser sparked controversy. Footage broadcast by FOX Sports suggested that Orjan Nyland’s goal kick, which initiated the play leading to the goal, might have clipped an overhead Spidercam cable. According to the International Football Association Board (IFAB) Laws of the Game, if the ball strikes a fixture hanging over the field of play, including a camera cable, the referee should stop play and restart with a dropped ball.
Despite the footage, there was no definitive evidence confirming contact, and neither match officials nor FIFA officially stated that the ball hit the cable. Consequently, play continued, and Bellingham’s goal stood. Norway’s manager, Ståle Solbakken, was seen discussing the incident with the match referee at half-time, and some Norway players protested the decision.
Later in the second half, Norway had a goal disallowed. Torbjørn Heggem found the net, but the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) ruled it out due to a foul by Erling Haaland on Elliott Anderson during the build-up. Additionally, Norway came close to scoring again when Kristoffer Ajer hit the bar.
The incident also brought attention to the connected ball technology used in the World Cup, which provides real-time data to the VAR system. It remains unclear whether this technology detected any contact with the overhead cable.
Bellingham’s winning goal and semifinal progression
With the score tied, the match went into extra-time. Bellingham scored his second goal of the match in the 93rd minute, capitalising on an error by Nyland, who spilled a shot from substitute Morgan Rogers. This goal secured the 2-1 victory for England.
England was awarded a penalty shortly after, but VAR intervened in Norway’s favour, determining that Djed Spence had initiated contact inside the box. Norway’s talisman, Haaland, whose run of scoring in his last 14 competitive matches for Norway ended in this game, was replaced at half-time of extra-time.
England manager Thomas Tuchel acknowledged his team was fortunate to win, stating, “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. The result is fantastic. We are in the last four. It’s amazing but not happy with the performance.” He added that the team needs to play better in the semifinal.
This victory marks the second time in three matches that England has won a World Cup knockout game after conceding first, a feat they had not achieved since the 1966 final before this tournament. England will now face either Argentina or Switzerland in the semifinals on Wednesday.
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Source: aljazeera.com
