MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — It was as recently as this season that there was debate in England over whether Jude Bellingham should even be on the roster for the World Cup.
The chances of Bellingham not making it, realistically, were always close to zero, barring injury. The chances of anyone ever saying such things again are zero.
Amid a standout month, Bellingham donned his cape and produced his second brace in as many games, scoring the match-winner to send England to a 2-1 victory over Norway and into the World Cup semifinal.
A week after defeating the altitude and the occasion of Mexico at the Azteca, England got past Erling Haaland and the humidity in Miami. This time, it took extra time and a match nearly as nervy as the last to find a winner.
It came from Bellingham all of three minutes into extra time, the 23-year-old completing his brace by pouncing on Morgan Rogers’ shot that Ørjan Nyland couldn’t keep in his arms. So early into 30 minutes of extra time, the situation then called for England to hang on for dear life as Norway threw numbers forward.
Instead, Norway seemed out of gas. Haaland, who had such an excellent tournament, made way at halftime of extra time for Jørgen Strand Larsen, having made little discernible impact on the match. England finally signaled it was ready to hunker down in the final 10 minutes, taking Bellingham off for Dan Burn.
Even then, Norway couldn’t come up with convincing chances.
England will face either Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday for the chance to reach its first final since 1966.
This was an afternoon where, for so long, England didn’t seem to have it. The Three Lions were second best, at least after the first 25 minutes when they owned the ball and did nothing with it. Bellingham, though, has the sort of big-game aura that England has often lacked in the long decades since its last World Cup victory.
Tuchel’s most-debated selections to start the game — Ezri Konsa at right back, Noni Madueke at right wing — were both off the field by the end of 90 minutes. Madueke had made way at halftime for Bukayo Saka; Konsa for Rogers late in regulation, allowing Djed Spence to play left back, with Reece James and Eberechi Eze having entered as well.
The addition of Rogers helped set up the winner, and all of the substitutions acquitted themselves well. By the end, though, it was less about Tuchel’s chess moves than Bellingham, who no one in their right minds would have left out.
There were so many missed opportunities for Norway. Alexander Sørloth’s breakaway in which he inexplicably didn’t pass to Haaland. Torbjørn Heggem’s goal that was wiped off for a foul. David Møller Wolfe’s shot that hit the crossbar from mere feet away.
That is what will make this so painful for Norway, underdogs as they were. For England, it only strengthens the feeling that this might be the year.
The 90-degree heat and humidity had a considerable effect on the game early on. Through the hydration break, England held the ball, Norway sat back and little happened as both teams were content with the slow pace.
It took a possibly accidental moment of brilliance from Andreas Schjelderup for the game to open up. The Norway winger beat Konsa on the left side of the box then scored from a sharp angle on what seemed to have been meant as a cross, giving his team a shock 1-0 lead on just their second shot of the game.
Sørloth’s two-on-one break with Haaland to his left just a few minutes later seemed a golden opportunity to make it 2-0, but Sørloth inexplicably held on to the ball, allowing John Stones to close down the chance.
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Norway would rue that decision before it even got to halftime. Elliot Anderson, who dictated tempo all match long as a midfield pivot, combined with Anthony Gordon on the left to create a stoppage-time chance for Jude Bellingham. Bellingham smashed it in with his left foot to tie it, and with the last kick of the first half, it was only down to the offside flag that Harry Kane didn’t give England the lead.
Heggem’s 55th-minute shot that followed a corner gave Norway a 2-1 lead for all of two minutes. Haaland’s foul on Anderson before the corner was taken resulted in the goal being wiped off after VAR review. After being so dominant all World Cup, that was Haaland’s most notable moment of the evening.
Those what-ifs are all that Norway was left with in the end. England, 60 years on from its great triumph of 1966, plays on in hope of another.
