Norway Coach Ståle Solbakken Defends Late Erling Haaland Substitution In World Cup Exit

Norway coach Ståle Solbakken has defended his decision to pull star striker Erling Haaland during extra time of Saturday’s World Cup quarterfinal, a substitution that left fans stunned as his team chased a late equalizer against England in Miami.

England won the match 2-1 in extra time, with Andreas Schjelderup opening the scoring for Norway in the 36th minute before Jude Bellingham leveled the score just ahead of halftime and then netted the winner three minutes into extra time. Haaland was withdrawn late in extra time with the match still hanging in the balance, replaced by Crystal Palace forward Jørgen Strand Larsen, who was unable to match his teammate’s scoring threat as Norway’s push for an equalizer came up short.

Speaking after the match, Solbakken said the call was straightforward because Haaland had nothing left to give, adding that, in hindsight, he probably should have made the change 10 minutes earlier. The coach pointed to a mix of fatigue and a second-half “dead leg” injury, compounded by brutal playing conditions — the heat index in South Florida topped 100 degrees Fahrenheit during the match.

Haaland himself acknowledged afterward that his energy had drained away as the game wore on.

It was an uncharacteristically quiet outing for the Manchester City forward, who managed just two shots, only one on target, and largely went silent after the first half. That marked a sharp contrast to the rest of his tournament, in which he had scored seven goals across his first four appearances and established himself as one of the competition’s most dangerous attackers.

Despite the disappointing finish, Solbakken praised Haaland’s overall World Cup, calling it a fantastic showing that helped carry Norway to its best tournament run in years. Haaland lingered on the field after the final whistle to salute Norwegian supporters and shared an embrace with Bellingham, his former Borussia Dortmund teammate, before making his way off the pitch for the final time this tournament.

Norway’s quarterfinal appearance still marked a milestone for a program that has struggled to make deep tournament runs in recent decades. England, meanwhile, advances to the semifinals under manager Thomas Tuchel, where the Three Lions will face the winner of the Argentina-Switzerland quarterfinal for a place in the final.

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Article by Erik Meers