The first two rounds of the World Cup knockout stage have concluded, leaving only the tournament’s top echelon of teams with World Cup glory still left to play for. Two quarterfinal matchups have already been decided, and the full semifinal bracket will be set after the remaining two quarterfinal games on July 11. Let’s take a look at the Norway vs. England quarterfinal and preview the upcoming matchup.
Norway are coming into this game with serious momentum after one of the nation’s greatest wins in history, defeating five-time World Cup champions Brazil 2-1 in the Round of 16. They’ve have looked like real contenders ever since the group stage, performing well in Group I, which many called this edition’s “Group of Death.” They won their first two group stage matches, automatically qualifying for the knockout stage. They then defeated Ivory Coast 2-1 before earning the biggest win of their tournament against Brazil to secure the nation’s first-ever World Cup quarterfinal berth.
Norway have a number of star players who have stepped up to help them reach this stage, but perhaps none have been more impactful than Erling Haaland. In my pre-tournament preview of Norway, I mentioned that if Haaland could consistently score, they would have a chance to make a deep run, and he has done exactly that. Through five matches, Haaland is right in the hunt for the Golden Boot with an incredible seven goals. His brace against Brazil was the difference in the match, and he enters this game against England in outstanding form.
Norway are still the underdogs against a stacked England squad, but that underdog role and mentality are something they have embraced and thrived in throughout this tournament.
England, the favorites in this contest, are coming off an outstanding performance against one of the tournament hosts, Mexico, defeating them 3-2 in a thriller at the Azteca. England raced out to a 2-0 lead but had to grind out the victory after defender Jarell Quansah was sent off, leaving them down to 10 men as Mexico fought their way back into the match.
England, like Norway, have been led by their world-class striker Harry Kane, who has six goals at this World Cup. He has been crucial throughout the knockout stage, scoring twice against DR Congo in the Round of 32 before converting the match-winning penalty against Mexico.
Beyond Kane, England have quality and depth across the board. Jude Bellingham was instrumental in the win over Mexico, scoring twice to bring his tournament total to four goals. Players such as Bukayo Saka, Declan Rice, Anthony Gordon and Marcus Rashford give England a litany of attacking options, and it will be a true test to see if Norway’s backline can contain them.
The winner of this contest will face the winner of the Argentina vs. Switzerland quarterfinal.
Players must be 21 years of age or older or reach the minimum age for gambling in their respective state and located in jurisdictions where online gambling is legal. Please play responsibly. Bet with your head, not over it. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, and wants help, call or visit: (a) the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at 1-800-Gambler or www.800gambler.org; or (b) Gamblers Anonymous at 855-2-CALL-GA or www.gamblersanonymous.org.
