Norway head coach Stale Solbakken broke down in tears following his side's 2-1 extra-time defeat to England in the World Cup quarter-finals at Miami Stadium on Saturday night. Jude Bellingham scored twice, including the winner three minutes into extra time, after Andreas Schjelderup had put Norway ahead.
Emotional Interview After Defeat
Speaking to Norwegian broadcaster NRK, a devastated Solbakken said: "I feel tremendous sadness for the boys; this is football at its highest level, giving you the most beautiful and harshest moments depending on which side you're on. The truth is we were on the lucky and fortunate side against Brazil, but today we weren't; after a tough first 20 minutes in the match, we delivered a heroic performance in every possible way and I can't blame the players or ask more of them than what they gave."
Controversial Equaliser
Solbakken also questioned the equaliser, which came in first-half stoppage time. The ball appeared to hit overhead TV cables, but FIFA's ball sensor showed no contact. A FIFA statement read: "Before England's goal in minute 45+2 against Norway, the sensor in the connected ball showed no peak in the 'heartbeat of the ball' when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball."
Solbakken disagreed, stating: "That was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it changed its direction. It became a misunderstanding among our players and it was in a bad moment for us, but we can't do anything about that. I don't think we will play the game again, so that's how it is."
He added: "I can't say anything about that because FIFA. If there's no been no sound or there has been no reading in the chip, what can I say against that? But the ball drops down straight from heaven says everyone, including Orjan, who is the goalie, including the guy who is going to receive the ball. I saw another way just then, so I wonder also what happened. I think it's pretty clear that it did and it was a strange thing."
