England holds off Norway in extra-time thriller to advance to World Cup semis

MIAMI GARDENS, Fla.— It was as recently as this season that there was debate in England over whether Jude Bellingham should even be on the roster for the World Cup. The chances of Bellingham not making it, realistically, were always close to zero, barring injury.

The chances of anyone ever saying such things again are zero. Amid a standout month, Bellingham donned his cape and produced his second brace in as many games, scoring the match-winner to send England to a 2-1 victory over Norway and into the World Cup semifinal. A week after defeating the altitude and the occasion of Mexico at the Azteca, England got past Erling Haaland and the humidity in Miami.This time, it took extra time and a match nearly as nervy as the last to find a winner. It came from Bellingham all of three minutes into extra time, the 23-year-old completing his brace by pouncing on Morgan Rogers’ shot that Ørjan Nyland couldn’t keep in his arms.

So early into 30 minutes of extra time, the situation then called for England to hang on for dear life as Norway threw numbers forward. Instead, Norway seemed out of gas.Haaland, who had such an excellent tournament, made way at halftime of extra time for Jørgen Strand Larsen, having made little discernible impact on the match.

England finally signaled it was ready to hunker down in the final 10 minutes, taking Bellingham off for Dan Burn. Even then, Norway couldn’t come up with convincing chances. England will face either Argentina or Switzerland in Atlanta on Wednesday for the chance to reach its first final since 1966. This was an afternoon where, for so long, England didn’t seem to have it.The Three Lions were second best, at least after the first 25 minutes when they owned the ball and did nothing with it.

Bellingham, though, has the sort of big-game aura that England has often lacked in the long decades since its last World Cup victory. Tuchel’s most-debated selections to start the game — Ezri Konsa at right back, Noni...