MIAMI GARDENS: England booked their place in the World Cup semifinals with a gritty 2-1 extra-time victory over Norway at the Hard Rock Stadium on Saturday. Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham stole the spotlight, scoring both goals to inspire another dramatic comeback for the Three Lions, while the English defense successfully neutralized Norway’s talisman Erling Haaland.
Haaland, who entered the match with six goals in the tournament, was kept completely quiet by a disciplined England backline and was surprisingly substituted late in extra time.
Despite the triumph, England manager Thomas Tuchel was far from pleased. In a post-match interview, a furious Tuchel labeled his side “lucky” and heavily criticized the performance.
“The result is fantastic, the last four is amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” Tuchel stated. “We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today… sloppy, not fast enough. We need to get better.”
England now head to Atlanta on Wednesday to face bitter rivals Argentina in a blockbuster semifinal clash, aiming to reach their first World Cup final in 60 years.
