England's first-half equalizer against Norway? FOX rules analyst Mark Clattenburg says that Jude Bellingham goal should have never happened, kicking off an absolute VAR nightmare in this quarterfinal match. You've got to be kidding me with the officiating in Miami Stadium right now.
The Camera Cable Blunder That Gifted England an Equalizer
Seriously, how does this even happen? Norway was up 1-0 thanks to a stunning Andreas Schjelderup goal in the 36th minute. Then, just two minutes into first-half stoppage time, we saw a sequence that turned everything on its head. Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took a goal kick, and get this, it smacked right into the camera cables hanging above the field! According to Clattenburg, if the ball hits an object in play that isn't a player, the game should stop. And if that contact leads to a goal, VAR can and absolutely should interfere. So, what happened next? England grabbed control of that ball, made two passes, and Bellingham, the Real Madrid star, buried it for his fifth goal of the tournament to tie the game at 1-1. Norwegian players and coaches were losing their minds, pointing out the cable hit, but French referee Clément Turpin just waved them off and allowed play to restart without any VAR intervention. The VAR referee for this game is Jérôme Brisard, the same guy who was involved in that controversial Argentina vs. Egypt game where Egypt had a goal chalked off. You can't make this stuff up! Clattenburg was crystal clear: "it should have been picked up by the VAR." Talk about a gut punch right before halftime.Haaland's Push Costs Norway a Crucial Second-Half Goal
Just when you thought it couldn't get worse for Norway, the second half delivered another dose of VAR drama. In the 55th minute, Erling Haaland, Norway's star striker, got tangled up with England midfielder Elliot Anderson. Haaland clearly pushed Anderson in the chest right before a corner kick was taken. Defender Torbjorn Heggem then scored from that corner, which would have put Norway back in the lead! But nope. The VAR stepped in again. After a review, the goal was disallowed because of Haaland's push, and the corner kick had to be retaken. Clattenburg totally agreed with this call, citing new IFAB regulations that state if a foul happens right before a corner, it has to be punished. So, unlike the Bellingham goal, this VAR call went against Norway, but at least it was by the book. It's just rough that they ended up losing a goal here after essentially having one gifted to England earlier. This quarterfinal is an absolute rollercoaster, and frankly, Norway has every right to feel hard done by. Leading 1-0, getting hit with a disallowed goal that should have been stopped, and then having one of their own chalked off? This is championship-level soccer, and these calls are everything. The stakes in Miami are sky-high, and you know both sides are fighting to the absolute bitter end. What an incredible, frustrating game!This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.