England to face Argentina in blockbuster semi-final

Bellingham double fires England past Norway Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the extra-time winner, as England ground out a 2-1 victory over a battling Norway side at Miami Stadium on Saturday to reach the 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 halftime. Three minutes into extra time, though, Morgan Rogers fired a long-range shot at the Norwegian goal that Orjan Nyland could only parry 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 on Wednesday in their fourth semi-final in their last five major championships, looking to stay on course for a repeat of their sole World Cup triumph of 1966. “The result is fantastic. We’re in the last four. It’s amazing, but I’m not happy with the performance,” England coach Thomas Tuchel said. “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.” Norway will feel they deserved more out of the game, even if England kept Erling Haaland scoreless for the first time in his last 16 matches for his country, and will exit their first World Cup in 28 years with heads held high. “It is a bit bitter, but it has been an adventure,” said Norway skipper Martin Odegaard. “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.” CAGEY FIRST HALF 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 were 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. They should have doubled their lead in the 44th minute when they briefly had a two-on-one inside the England half but Sorloth decided not to pass to Haaland and the defenders recovered their ground to snuff out the danger. Norway would regret their 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 goal. Norway coach Stale Solbakken said afterwards that England had got possession of the ball only because a Norwegian clearance had hit the aerial cable supporting a camera but FIFA said nothing had registered on the sensor in the ball. 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 VAR. VAR RULES OUT NORWAY GOAL 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 onto the bar. England’s right-wing substitute Bukayo Saka came close to helping his team take the lead with a dangerous cross that flashed across goal in the 78th minute and he carved out another great chance when he got to the byline and fired a low cross across the box that none of his teammates 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 to rule out an extra-time penalty awarded to England for a foul on Spence. Haaland, unable to add to his tournament tally of seven goals, was substituted at halftime of the extra period and although Norway poured forward looking for an equaliser, England held on to match their progress to the last four at the 1966, 1990 and 2018 World Cups. “I feel sorry for the lads, but this is top level sports at its best or its most gruesome,” said a tearful Solbakken. “We played fantastic football against a super team, but we didn’t make it.” Argentina strike late in extra time to sink 10-man Swiss Argentina’s Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez scored deep in extra time to secure a dramatic 3-1 quarter-final win over 10-man Switzerland on Saturday and set up a heavyweight last-four clash against England in Atlanta on Wednesday. Lionel Messi’s Argentina side kept alive their bid to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962 with a victory that sparked pandemonium among the sea of sky-blue-and-white supporters and ended Switzerland’s fairytale run. The Swiss had reached the World Cup quarter-finals for the first time since 1954, but fell one match short of an unprecedented semi-final appearance, suffering a major blow when Breel Embolo was sent off for diving in the 72nd minute. The thriller – Kansas City’s final World Cupgame – looked headed for a shootout before Alvarez, excellent all night, whipped a gorgeous long-range shot into the top corner in the 112th minute that Gregor Kobel at full-stretch had no chance of saving. Martinez added a third for the holders nine minutes later when he calmly slotted home the rebound of Thiago Almada’s shot. “We’re used to suffering,” Almada said. “We come from being champions and now being among the top four is not easy at all. We want to chase glory and put Argentina at the very top.” ARGENTINA TAKE EARLY LEAD Alexis Mac Allister had given Argentina the lead in the 10th minute, meeting Messi’s corner at the front post with a flicked header that sailed beyond Kobel and into the far corner. It was the first time Switzerland had trailed in the tournament. But the Swiss – without injured leading scorer Johan Manzambi, who had three goals and two assists – refused to wilt. After a largely uneventful first half, the contest burst into life as Switzerland repeatedly tested Emiliano Martinez, forcing the Argentina goalkeeper into a string of sharp saves and jolting the South American supporters into full voice. An equaliser felt almost inevitable as the Swiss piled on the pressure, and they were rewarded in the 67th minute when Dan Ndoye exchanged passes with Ricardo Rodriguez down the left before sliding a right-footed finish through Martinez’s legs. Ndoye snarled into the nearest television camera as the small section of Swiss fans erupted. However, Switzerland were reduced to 10 men when Embolo got a second yellow card for simulation. It came after a lengthy VAR review for mistaken identity, with the referee overturning his initial decision to caution Argentina’s Leandro Paredes. The call left Swiss coach Murat Yakin livid. “I know that (FIFA) will protect their referee, but this rule destroyed our game today, and it is incredibly painful,” he said. “And to be eliminated in that way hurts a lot. Unfortunately, we have to accept it.” Embolo collapsed in tears and was consoled by teammates as he left the pitch. “This team has so much passion. Despite the fact we were one man down, we gave it all. I’m extremely proud of everyone,” Swiss coach Murat Yakin said. SWITZERLAND PINNED BACK Argentina responded to Swiss misfortune by pinning them back for long periods. Cheered on by fans who made Arrowhead Stadium feel more like Buenos Aires than Kansas City, they surged forward as chants of “Vamos, vamos!” echoed around the venue. Messi, playing in his sixth World Cup at the age of 39, nearly settled the contest in stoppage time with a fierce strike that flashed inches wide of the post. Switzerland weathered wave after wave of pressure and appeared destined to force a shootout but their resistance was finally broken in the closing moments of extra time. “We had to suffer a lot. We knew they were a physical team and that gave us a lot of trouble,” said Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni. “Today we had luck on our side because one of their players was sent off. We could have played better but it’s a big achievement to be in the semi-finals.” The distraught Swiss dropped to their knees, consoling each other, while Argentina’s star-studded squad lingered on the pitch soaking up the atmosphere as Messi tugged off his shirt and twirled it above his head in front of the Argentina fans. Wednesday’s semi-final will mark the first time England have faced Messi at a World Cup. “It doesn’t matter whether it’s England or Norway (who lost 2-1 to Thomas Tuchel’s England after extra time earlier on Saturday),” Scaloni said. “We’re going to come up against a team that plays very well and has a great coach.”