Alexander Sorloth has explained the decision to shoot instead of passing to Erling Haaland during Norway's World Cup quarter-final defeat to England, a move that sparked widespread criticism. According to Sorloth, he wanted to find Haaland but felt the passing lane had been blocked at the crucial moment.
Norway were leading 1-0 when Sorloth found himself in a dangerous attacking position, with Haaland making a run that many fans and pundits believed should have been picked out. Rather than slipping the ball through to his strike partner, Sorloth took a touch, assessed his options, and decided to go for goal himself. Moments later, England midfielder Jude Bellingham equalised, shifting the momentum of the contest before the Three Lions completed the comeback to knock Norway out of the World Cup.
The decision has continued to divide opinion, with many supporters and pundits arguing that a pass to Haaland, regarded as one of football's deadliest finishers, would have given Norway an excellent opportunity to extend their lead and potentially secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals. Norway had already produced some drama in the match, striking first in the 36th minute when Andreas Schjelderup squeezed home from a tight angle. England hit back just before the interval, with Bellingham finishing confidently after being picked out by Anthony Gordon.
The Scandinavians then thought they had regained the lead through Torbjørn Heggem, only for VAR to disallow the goal after identifying a push by Erling Haaland on Elliot Anderson before the corner was taken. The match had already produced its fair share of drama before the penalty incident. With the tie locked at 1-1 deep into extra time, Bellingham once again stepped up, scoring the decisive goal to seal England's place in the World Cup semi-finals.
Sorloth's decision to shoot has been questioned by many, but he insists he wanted to find Haaland but felt the passing lane had been blocked at the crucial moment. The match between Norway and England was one of the most intense in the World Cup so far, with both teams giving it their all. England will now await the winner of the Argentina vs Switzerland fixture for a place in the final. The Real Madrid midfielder's decisive goal sealed England's place in the World Cup semi-finals, and fans are eagerly waiting to see what happens next.
Source: Yen Sports