MIAMI, United States, July 12 — England head coach Thomas Tuchel praised his team’s resilience after a brace from Jude Bellingham propelled the side into the World Cup semifinals with a 2-1 comeback victory over Norway on Saturday.
“In my heart, there’s no doubt I’m proud and happy,” Tuchel said at the post-match press conference. “I feel so connected to this team because they just do whatever it takes to take the next step. They just refuse to lose.” Bellingham scored a first half stoppage-time equalizer before pouncing again early in extra time to help the Three Lions complete the comeback. “There’s nothing wrong with it,” the coach said of his team’s reliance on his star duo of Bellingham and captain Harry Kane. “We don’t need to be sorry for the fact that these two guys play for us and decide the matches for us. It’s impressive.” The high-stakes encounter was also marked by several VAR interventions. Norway saw a 55th-minute goal by Torbjorn Heggem overturned due to a foul by Erling Haaland, while England had a late penalty decision reversed after a review of a challenge on Djed Spence.
Despite the win, the manager remained critical of the technical performance. “The head of mine is not fully satisfied. I think we can play faster and be more clinical. We had too many unforced errors and technical mistakes that cost us a lot of belief,” he said. For Norway, the defeat marks the end of a historic run. Star forward Haaland was substituted with 15 minutes of extra time remaining. “I think he struggled quite a while with the physicality of the match. I could see him struggling,” said Tuchel. England, the 1966 champion, now heads toward Atlanta for the semifinal. “Everyone is ready to attack the last eight days of the tournament,” Tuchel said. “The next three days are crucial for recovery. This victory will help a lot. We have a top facility and we will be ready.”
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