England secured a hard-fought 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway in Miami on Saturday, booking their place in the World Cup semifinals. Thomas Tuchel's side will now face Argentina, who earlier defeated a ten-man Switzerland 2-1 in Kansas City.
England's Gritty Win Over Norway
Norway struck first late in the first half when Andreas Schjelderup's cross deceived England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, dipping over him and hitting the post before going in. England responded quickly, with Jude Bellingham slotting a cool left-footed finish just before the interval to level the score.
Tuchel made tactical changes at half-time, replacing Noni Madueke and Declan Rice with Arsenal's Bukayo Saka and Eberechi Eze. Despite the adjustments, Norway dominated the second half and looked the more threatening side. They were unlucky not to retake the lead when Torbjørn Heggem had a goal disallowed for a shove by Erling Haaland on Elliot Anderson, and another header struck the crossbar.
The match drifted into extra time, where Bellingham struck again in the 93rd minute, reacting quickest to turn home a rebound after Ørjan Nyland saved an initial effort. England thought they had a penalty when Djed Spence was brought down after a fine run, but the referee overturned his decision following a VAR review, sparking fury among England supporters. Nevertheless, England held on as Norway's energy faded.
England's semifinal opponent is Argentina, who edged past Switzerland in Kansas City. Alexis Mac Allister headed Argentina into an early lead, but Switzerland equalised through Dan Ndoye in the 67th minute. The Swiss were reduced to ten men shortly after when striker Breel Embolo received a second yellow card for a dive. Julian Alvarez then scored the winner for Argentina.
The winner of Wednesday's semifinal in Atlanta will face either Spain or France in the final. Spain eliminated Portugal in the quarterfinals, while France repeated their 2-0 victory over Morocco to reach the semifinals.
England's journey to the semifinals has been marked by resilience, following their dramatic win over Mexico in the Azteca and a strong group stage performance. Norway, meanwhile, can take pride in their spirited campaign, which saw them reach the quarterfinals for the first time since 1998.
