- Norway led early through Schjelderup’s fantastic first half.
- Bellingham tied the game just before halftime with a quality finish.
- England keep Haaland scoreless and hold firm under pressure.
Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the extra-time winner, as England cruised to a 2-1 victory over a struggling Norway side at the Miami Stadium on Saturday to reach the World Cup semi-finals for the fourth time.
The teams were locked 1-1 at the end of regular time after Andreas Schjelderup had opened the scoring for Norway with a 36th-minute wonder and Bellingham burst into the area to equalize just before the break.
Three minutes into added time, however, Morgan Rogers fired a long shot at the Norwegian goal that Orjan Nyland could only parry and Bellingham stole in to bury the rebound, much to the delight of the white-shirted fans in the crowd of 64,478.
England will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday in their fourth semi-final in their last five major championships as they look to stay on course for a repeat of their only World Cup triumph in 1966.
Norway will feel they deserved more from the game, even though England kept Erling Haaland scoreless for the first time in his last 16 appearances for his country, and will leave their first World Cup in 28 years with their heads held high.
Perhaps because of the sweltering heat, the first half was a topsy-turvy affair, but Norway exploded into life when Julian Ryerson crossed for Haaland to head the ball past goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute.
A minute later, Patrick Berg stripped Harry Kane of possession almost halfway and released Schjelderup down the left, and the winger turned England’s makeshift full-back Ezri Konsa inside out before blasting a shot-cum-cross into the net.
England were rattled and Norway took full advantage with Alexander Sorloth hitting a rising drive over the bar and Martin Odegaard drilling in a low shot which Pickford parried away.
They should have doubled their lead in the 44th minute when they briefly had a two-on-one inside the English half, but Sorloth decided not to pass to Haaland and the defenders regained their ground to clear the danger.
Quality equalizer
Norway would regret their lethargy in stoppage time at the end of the half when Bellingham conjured an equalizer of real quality from Anthony Gordon’s clever ball across the edge of the box.
Bellingham took one tap to head the ball into the area, another to take it past a defender before turning to whip it across goalkeeper Nyland into the far corner of the net.
The rest of the half was all England, with Kane getting the ball in the net again only to be ruled offside, a decision upheld by VAR.
VAR was called again 10 minutes into the second half when Torbjorn Heggem thought he had put Norway ahead from a corner, his goal scratched off for a push by Haaland on Elliot Anderson.
Norway’s introduction of speedy winger Oscar Bobb in the 67th minute sparked another period of dominance which England were lucky not to concede as David Møller Wolfe headed the ball over Pickford and onto the crossbar.
England right-wing substitute Bukayo Saka came close to helping his side take the lead with a dangerous cross that flashed across the face of the goal in the 78th minute, but Norway were quickly back on the attack.
However, Saka capitalized on another great chance in the 87th minute when he got to the touchline and sent a low cross across the box that none of his teammates were able to get to.
England substitute Djed Spence caught Nyland asleep in possession towards the end of normal time, but the second half was destined to end goalless.
VAR had to intervene again after Bellingham’s second goal to rule out an extra-time penalty awarded to England for a foul on Eberechi Eze.
Haaland, unable to add to his tournament tally of seven goals, was substituted at the break of the extra period and although Norway surged forward looking for an equaliser, England held on to match their progress to the last four at the 1966, 1990 and 2018 World Cups.
