Erling Haaland reaction spotted on bench when he was taken off against England
· Yahoo Sports
Erling Haaland could barely conceal his disbelief after being hauled off during extra time as England eliminated Norway from World Cup contention. In Saturday's quarterfinal clash in Miami, England relied on a brace from Jude Bellingham to edge past Norway 2-1.
The Scandinavians drew first blood when Andreas Schjelderup unleashed a finish that beat Jordan Pickford, rattling in off the far post to hand Norway the advantage.
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The Three Lions then leveled through a contentious equalizer, with Bellingham producing a stunning solo effort before slotting past Orjan Nyland. Three minutes into extra time, the midfielder doubled his tally after Nyland spilled Elliot Anderson's strike directly into his path.
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Despite falling behind, Norway still held onto hopes of mounting a comeback in extra time. Yet head coach Stale Solbakken raised eyebrows with his decision to withdraw Haaland, who had netted seven goals across four games heading into the quarterfinal.
With Norway desperately chasing a goal, Haaland - largely neutralized by England's backline throughout - was bafflingly taken off, with commentators attributing the substitution to fatigue. Jorgen Strand Larsen was brought on in his place for the closing stage.
The move left supporters scratching their heads, with one fan posting a photo of Haaland sitting on the bench, captioned: "Dude, this image is shocking the world right now. What on earth happened for Haaland to be substituted?
Haaland was subbed off late during the game -Credit:Getty Images"Erling Haaland is disappointed with how things have gone," added another. One more wrote: "He looks like he's in pain."
Another vented: "HE WAS TOO NERVOUS AND IT DIDN'T ALLOW HIM TO PLAY LIKE HE HAS BEEN DURING THE WHOLE CUP."
Even former England striker and all-time Premier League leading scorer Alan Shearer was left stunned. On BBC's coverage of the match, he said: "It has to be an injury. There is no way you take Haaland off if you are in desperate need of a goal."
Haaland's substitution shocked fans and pundits -Credit:Buda Mendes, Getty ImagesPredictably, without their imposing No. 9, Norway lacked any real threat up front, allowing England to comfortably secure the victory.
Haaland appeared visibly frustrated, leaving many to question whether his substitution was prompted by his struggles in the oppressive heat and fatigue.
Yet with an equalizer desperately needed, Solbakken would surely have been wiser to keep the talisman on the field, pairing him alongside a second forward. Instead, Haaland's departure from the pitch signaled the end of Norway's hopes of salvaging a result.
Meanwhile, England advance to the semifinal where they will face either Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday, July 15.