Norway and England quarterfinal match goes to extra time tied 1-1
Norway and England are heading into extra time in their World Cup quarterfinal match, with the score level at 1-1. The game, played in Miami Gardens, Florida, saw both teams score in the first half.
Andreas Schjelderup opened the scoring for Norway in the 36th minute. His shot struck the right post before finding the net, surprising an England side that had largely controlled possession up to that point. Schjelderup was making only his second start of the tournament and celebrated by stretching his arms wide as teammates lifted him onto their shoulders.
England‘s equalizer came from Jude Bellingham in first-half stoppage time. Bellingham’s close-range goal marked his fifth of the tournament and was met with a loud cheer from the crowd, which included Mick Jagger and David Beckham. Moments before Bellingham’s goal, a Norway goal kick appeared to make contact with an aerial camera cable before landing near England‘s Elliot Anderson. The ball then found its way to Bellingham, who scored with a low shot past goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland. According to rules, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have been stopped and a drop ball used to restart.
First Half Action and Disallowed Goal
The match saw significant action before the halftime whistle. Schjelderup had previously assisted both of Erling Haaland’s goals in Norway’s Round of 16 victory against Brazil. Meanwhile, England‘s Harry Kane was seen grabbing his leg near midfield, looking towards officials, though no foul was called.
In the 56th minute, Norway nearly took a 2-1 lead when Torbjørn Heggem put a rebound past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford following a corner kick. However, after a video review, the goal was disallowed due to a foul by Haaland in the box. Haaland, a Manchester City star, has scored seven goals in the tournament, trailing France‘s Kylian Mbappé and Argentina‘s Lionel Messi in goal count. Pickford had also denied Haaland earlier in the first half with a point-blank header.
Historically, matches between Norway and England have not been high-scoring affairs, with only two goals recorded across their last four encounters. However, the attacking talent on display suggested a different outcome for this quarterfinal match. Norway has only defeated England twice in 12 previous meetings, with those wins occurring in World Cup qualifiers in 1981 and 1993. Despite this, Norway entered the match with confidence after knockout victories over Côte d’Ivoire and Brazil.
Tournament Context and What Comes Next
England‘s defense has shown some vulnerability in the tournament, conceding 4.2 expected goals and managing only two clean sheets. However, their prolific offense has compensated, averaging 2.2 goals per game and creating 23 big chances. Kane and Bellingham have been key figures for England‘s attack.
Neither team has had a flawless run in the tournament, and the expectation was for goals given the strength of their forward lines against defenses that have been described as unspectacular. The match now proceeds to 30 minutes of extra time, divided into two 15-minute halves. If the score remains tied after extra time, a penalty shootout will determine which team advances.
The winner of this quarterfinal will face either Argentina or Switzerland, who are scheduled to play their quarterfinal match later on Saturday night in Kansas City, Missouri. Norway has never reached this stage of the World Cup before, while England won the title in 1966 and last made it to the semifinals eight years ago. A brief moment of silence was observed before the match in honor of Jayden Adams, a 25-year-old midfielder for South Africa, whose death was announced earlier on Saturday.
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Source: apnews.com
