Key events
Half-time postbag. “Jude Bellingham is handily having the best World Cup an England footballer has had since Paul Gascoigne. If the trend line continues, it’ll be getting into Bobby Charlton territory, he’s been extraordinary” – Christopher Faherty
“Goals win games but also defence. John Stones’ two-on-one defending was outstanding. England may well win from that, I hope they acknowledge it” – Lenny Hz
“You might be doing young Schjelderup a disservice regarding his fortunate ‘cross’. It looked deliberate, and certainly he celebrated as if he’s been practising it all week. If he can’t play he can certainly act” – Gervase Greene
“Guehi trying to out-muscle Haaland is hilarious, almost like he’s never experienced the big fella before” – Stu Smith
“I don’t know how bad the illness was and if he had fever, but between that, the heat, and the humidity, Rice seems to be well and truly cooked” – João André
“I had been quietly confident until the news that Harry had golfed with Donald. Why invite karma?” – RH
“As an expat who grew up with 70s NFL – I did not have Garo Ypremian mentioned in a World Cup MBM on my bingo card! Garo was a Cypriot who was one of the first ‘soccer-style’ kickers in the NFL and was actually one of the best” – Rob Young
HALF TIME: Norway 1-1 England
It took a while to get going … but it got going. Both sides will have their frustrations after that; both will feel they’ve got enough tools to win, as well. Should be one hell of a second half!
45 min +4: England have the ball in the net again! Bellingham dinks down the inside-right channel to release Kane, who wedges a gentle chip over Nyland and into the net! But the flag immediately goes up for offside, correctly so.
45 min +3: Norway should have been 2-0 up. Now it’s 1-1, and England’s tails are suddenly up again! Kane whistles a forensic low drive towards the bottom left from 25 yards. Nyland needs two grasps to get the ball under control.
GOAL! Norway 1-1 England (Bellingham 45+2)
It’s that man again! Gordon crosses low from the left. Bellingham picks up possession on the edge of the box, takes a couple of touches down the inside-left channel, then swivels and whips a shot across Nyland and into the right-hand side of the net!
45 min +1: The first of four additional second-quarter first-half minutes goes by.
45 min: A corner for England on the right. Rice takes it. Again the delivery’s no good. The ball pings back to him, and he’s flagged offside. Rice hasn’t been on it today at all, to the extent that you wonder if he’s really over that bug.
44 min: Guehi’s loose ball in the centre circle is nearly snaffled by Schjelderup … but Rice manages to intercept, just before Norway break. But then seconds later, there’s another counter attack, and for a moment Sorloth and Haaland are two on one with Stones! But Sorloth, down the inside-right can’t find or make the pass to release Haaland down the inside-left channel, and when he cuts into the box and shoots himself, it’s blocked. Haaland is fuming, and no wonder. Norway should be two up. Outstanding defence from Stones, to be fair.
42 min: Odegaard goes long. It’s Haaland versus Guehi and Stones … and the big striker bothers both defenders in short order to win a throw. No idea how he came out on top in that two-versus-one battle, other than Norway’s confidence is high now, and England are beginning to question themselves. How they’d love a response before the break.
40 min: England are rocking, their heads muddled, and now they allow Sorloth to send a rising drive over the bar from the right-hand corner of the box. England then ship possession cheaply, giving Odegaard the opportunity to aim for the bottom right. He doesn’t hit the shot cleanly, but Pickford makes a meal of collecting, though collect he eventually does. England need to clear their heads and quick.
38 min: That might not have been intentional. But the cross was hit at some pace, and Pickford didn’t read the swerve at all. Kane insists he was clipped by Berg, but there didn’t seem much in it. Berg picked the ball pretty cleanly off Kane’s toe from behind. And no idea why England collectively stopped, allowing Schjelderup to advance on their box.
GOAL! Norway 1-0 England (Schjelderup 36)
Kane is stripped of possession by Berg near the centre circle. England stop to demand a free kick, but Norway play on. Schjelderup advances down the left, cuts infield, and hits an outswinging cross that somehow swerves across Pickford, off the right-hand post, and in!
35 min: Ryerson makes good down the right and crosses long. Haaland rises highest at the far stick and plants a header straight at Pickford. But then …
33 min: Stones gives the ball away, panicked by Norway’s press on the edge of his own box. The ball breaks to Haaland, who fortunately for England turns the wrong way, allowing Pickford to collect. Had Haaland been on his toes, England were in all sorts of trouble. Stones breathes again.
32 min: Ryerson sticks out a leg and brings down Gordon. The tackle’s a doozy. Rice takes the free kick … and once again his delivery fails to beat the first man. Ryerson makes up for his mistake by hooking clear.
30 min: Odegaard tries to release Schjelderup down the inside-left channel, but Konsa is covering and shepherds the ball back to Pickford. Norway aren’t doing much up front.
29 min: Kane really connects with the free kick, but it’s always clearing the crossbar. Local hero Garo Yepremian would have been proud of that.
28 min: Bellingham twists and turns down the inside-right channel and is stopped clumsily by Ajer. A free kick just to the right of the D. Kane and Bellingham’s eyes light up.
27 min: The game restarts. “I love the appreciation for Lloyd Cole and the Commotions,” writes Daniel Halladay. “I was in fact listening to their terrific Rattlesnakes album shortly before kickoff and it always makes me very happy to see them mentioned, particularly as they aren’t well known here in the States.” On this subject, Lloyd has a pertinent question for all England fans …
26 min: Kex and Plopp, though!
25 min: Thomas Tuchel gives England some beneficial tactical advice in a frenzied style.
24 min: … it’s drinks. And snacks? Yes snacks! Norway take care of first-quarter duties, and offer some beer, to help wash down some chocolate-covered savoury corn snacks. (Your regular reminder that Smash! is nowhere near as good a confectionary brand name as Sweden’s Kex or Plopp.)
23 min: O’Reilly dinks a cross in from the left. Too long, but Madueke recycles on the right and pearls a shot-cum-cross through the six-yard box. Any touch and it’s in. But the only nearby white shirt is O’Reilly, wide left of goal. The ball hits him and looks to be squirting out for a goal kick, but Heggem is taking no chances and hooks out for a throw. But before that can be taken …
22 min: O’Reilly crosses from the left. Norway allow the ball to bounce in their area twice, an egregious error, but they get away with it, Madueke standing in pretty much the only place he can’t connect.
21 min: Both teams almost grind to a halt. The heat beginning to kick in.
19 min: England are beginning to press Norway back. Gordon is seeing a lot of the ball down the left. He feeds Anderson, who crosses low, dangerously so. Bellingham swings a leg at the ball on the penalty spot, but doesn’t connect. The ball sails out for a goal kick.
17 min: Gordon drops deep on the left and sends an inswinger into the box. Ajer heads clear with Madueke lurking behind, waiting to connect.
16 min: Gordon turns on the jets and nearly gets past Ryerson. He settles for a corner, which Rice saunters over to take. Rice’s delivery is beyond awful, though, flat and straight at the first man, who hoicks clear.
14 min: … and now England have their turn. Energy conservation is the order of the day.
13 min: Norway keep on keep-balling. The crowd amuse themselves with the first Viking Row of the day. Clap stomp clap.
12 min: Norway play some keep-ball at the back, just as they did for long stretches against Brazil.
11 min: Madueke caught offside again. This isn’t going to go down well with Tommy.
10 min: Sorloth probes down the right but there’s no way past O’Reilly. Norway beginning to show a bit in attack. “I have a tech support comment,” begins Peter Oh, unpromisingly, let’s be honest, but stick with it. “How many assistants with tablet computers does it take to manage a bloody soccer match these days? I’m starting to wonder if ‘It’s Coming Home’ isn’t actually ‘IT is Coming Home’.”
8 min: A ball worked into the England box from the left by Schjelderup. Haaland tries to cushion the ball into the path of Sorloth, but England clear. Both teams looking lively.
7 min: Anderson sprays a diagonal to Madueke on the right. Madueke prepares to take on Schjelderup, but he’s been caught offside and up goes the flag. On the touchline, Tuchel throws a minor tanty at his winger’s inability to look along the line.
6 min: Sorloth dribbles in from the right and nearly releases Haaland down the middle … but Stones has read the danger well, stepping in to intercept his pass.
5 min: Kane drops deep and looks long for Bellingham down the middle. The pass is overhit and Nyland is able to come to the edge of his box to collect.
