Bellingham double guides England to semi-finals
Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the extra-time winner, as England ground out a 2-1 win over a battling Norway side at Miami Stadium to reach the FIFA World Cup semi-finals for the fourth time.
The teams were locked up 1-1 at the end of regulation time after Andreas Schjelderup had opened the scoring for Norway with a wonder strike in the 36th minute and Bellingham skipped into the area to equalise just before half-time.
Three minutes into extra-time, though, Morgan Rogers fired a long-range shot at the Norway goal that Orjan Nyland spilled and Bellingham stole in to bury the rebound, delighting the white-shirted fans in the crowd of 64,478.
England will face Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta next Thursday (AEST) in its fourth semi-final in its past five major championships, looking to stay on course for a repeat of its sole FIFA World Cup triumph of 1966.
"When things weren't working, we found a way to win the game again. Whether it's in 90 [minutes], 120, we'll get everything we've got," Bellingham said.
"You saw that there, whoever was ready to come on, came on and smashed it. So proud of this team once again and a [FIFA] World Cup semi-final."
Norway will feel it deserved more out of the game, even if England kept Erling Haaland scoreless for the first time in his past 16 matches for his country, but should exit its first FIFA World Cup in 28 years with heads held high.
"It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure," Norway skipper Martin Odegaard said.
"We must be proud. We are here for the first time in a long time, and we are making our mark. The whole world is talking about us."
Perhaps because of the stifling heat, the first half was a cagey affair but Norway exploded into life when Julian Ryerson crossed for Haaland to head the ball at goalkeeper Jordan Pickford in the 35th minute.
A minute later, Patrick Berg stripped Harry Kane of possession near halfway and released Schjelderup down the left, the winger turning makeshift England full back Ezri Konsa inside out before crashing a shot-cum-cross into the net.
England was rattled and Norway took full advantage with Alexander Sorloth hitting a rising drive over the bar and Martin Odegaard drilling in a low shot that Pickford parried away.
It should have doubled its lead in the 44th minute when it briefly had a two-on-one inside the England half but Sorloth decided not to pass to a free Haaland and the England defenders recovered to snuff out the danger.
Norway would regret its profligacy in stoppage-time at the end of the half when Bellingham conjured up an equaliser of real quality from Anthony Gordon's clever ball across the edge of the box.
Bellingham took one touch to steer the ball into the area, another to take him past a defender, before turning to whip it across goalkeeper Nyland into the far corner of the net.
The remainder of the half was all England with Kane getting the ball into the net again only to be adjudged offside, a decision confirmed by the video assistant referee (VAR).
VAR was again called upon 10 minutes into the second half when Torbjorn Heggem thought he had put Norway in front from a corner, his goal scratched off for a shove by Haaland on Elliot Anderson.
Norway's introduction of pacey winger Oscar Bobb in the 67th minute triggered another period of dominance with England fortunate not to concede when David Moller Wolfe headed the ball over Pickford and on to the bar.
England's right-wing substitute Bukayo Saka then came close to helping his team take the lead with a dangerous cross that flashed across goal in the 78th minute but Norway was soon back on the attack.
Saka, though, carved out another great chance in the 87th minute when he got to the byline and fired a low cross across the box that none of his team-mates were able to get to.
England substitute Djed Spence caught Nyland napping in possession towards the end of normal time but the second half was destined to finish goalless.
VAR was to intervene once more after Bellingham's second goal, this time in Norway's favour to rule out an extra-time penalty awarded to England for a foul on Spence after he had completed an excellent run into the box.
Haaland, unable to add to his tournament tally of seven goals, was substituted at half-time of the extra period and although Norway poured forward looking for an equaliser, England held on to match its progress to the last four at the 1966, 1990 and 2018 FIFA World Cups.
While he praised Bellingham's influence on the game, England boss Thomas Tuchel wasn't happy with what he saw from his side overall.
"The result is fantastic. We're in the last four. It's amazing, but I'm not happy with the performance," the German said after the final whistle.
"We made life very, very difficult for ourselves in the way we played. Sloppy, a lot of technical mistakes, not fast enough, not repetitive enough. We were lucky today."
When that criticism was put to Bellingham, he didn't take it too well.
"Maybe he hasn't played in conditions like that before, It's difficult out there," Bellingham said. "It's a tough shift. All the players put in a very tough shift. So my thoughts and appreciation go to the players who were out there who put in a great shift yet again."
The first question Tuchel faced in his press conference was whether he agreed with Bellingham's words.
"Absolutely, no one disputes that," Tuchel said.
"I'm impressed with the shift that they put in, the effort, team spirit, the belief, and to overcome adversity and to dig in and find ways to win is on the absolutely highest level. They cannot get enough praise for that.
"But I'm also a football coach, and I think we can play better. In general, I think it was not a high-level game. I think we had better games in general. The analysing head of me and the football coach in me still thinks that we can and have to play better football."
