Norway tweaks attack for England after historic World Cup run

Norway reshaped its attack again for England in the World Cup quarter-final in Miami after beating Côte d'Ivoire 2-1 for its first knockout victory at the tournament. Ståle Solbakken has changed his lineup in almost every match, and the latest adjustments were aimed at finding the right wide support for Erling Haaland while managing a squad that has been pushed hard by the schedule.

The team returned to a World Cup after 28 years away, having qualified with a perfect campaign, and Haaland led the way with 16 goals in the qualifying phase. Martin Ødegaard remained the creative hub behind him. For Solbakken, a former Norway international with 58 caps who played at France 1998 and took over as coach in December 2020, the tournament marked Norway’s fourth World Cup after 1938, 1994 and 1998.

Antonio Nusa and Alexander Sørloth started out wide in four of Norway’s five World Cup matches, but Andreas Schjelderup and Oskar Bobb changed the tempo in the win over Brazil, with Schjelderup delivering the assist for the opening goal. Sørloth, who usually plays more centrally for Atlético de Madrid, admitted he was angry when he was substituted, but later spoke with Solbakken and the two left the issue behind them.

The month of travel, training and high-tension matches had begun to affect the group physically. Jørgen Strand Larsen had fever before the England match, Marcus Holmgren Pedersen missed the Brazil win because of illness, and Solbakken said some players had been “coughing and rasping” in recent days. England arrived with a nearly complete squad, with Jarell Quansah the only notable absence because of suspension.