If soccer is “coming home,” like the famous English soccer anthem “Three Lions” claims, it has to go through South Florida first.
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England and Norway face off in the World Cup quarterfinals at 5 p.m. at Miami Stadium (a.k.a. Hard Rock Stadium) on Saturday. The winner will be just two wins away from a world championship.
The English side features some of the top players in the world, including striker Harry Kane (Bayern Munich) and midfielder Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid). Those players came up big in England’s win over Mexico in the Round of 16. Bellingham put England ahead with two goals in two minutes, and Kane scored the eventual game-winner on a penalty. Kane is currently fourth in the tournament’s Golden Boot race with six goals, trailing Argentina’s Lionel Messi, France’s Kylian Mbappe and Norway’s Erling Haaland.
There is always pressure on the English team, as it has not won a World Cup or a European championship since winning the World Cup in 1966. England finished second in the past two UEFA European Championships. England has reached the World Cup quarterfinals 10 times in the past, but that is often the round where the team bows out. It has advanced past the quarterfinals only twice.
Despite its history, England is the favorite to win on Saturday, and it has the fourth-best odds to win the World Cup.
“I think there are some clear favorites out there,” said Haaland, who plays in England’s Premier League. “England’s one of them, so I think (the media) should put every single pressure on the English lads.
Norway stands in England’s way. This is the first World Cup quarterfinal in the nation’s history. Led by Haaland, a standout striker, and Arsenal midfielder Martin Odegaard, the Norwegian team has captured the world’s attention after upsetting five-time champion Brazil in the Round of 16.
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“Playing against Brazil was kind of crazy for us Norwegians, and winning against Brazil and then we go and play England in the quarterfinal in the World Cup in the USA, (it) is quite special,” Haaland said. “And I think if you watch the scenes back in Norway, this is not normal.”
The summer heat could be a challenge for both teams. Both sides’ five previous World Cup matches were in cooler environments: domed stadiums in Atlanta and Dallas and outdoor stadiums in New York and Boston. England also played a night match in Mexico City. At 5 p.m. Saturday, temperatures will likely be over 90 degrees with a heat index of more than 100.
“That’s the same for both teams. We’re both from the north,” Norwegian coach Ståle Solbakken said. “… Not one of these teams (is) used to this kind of heat, so that’s equal for both.”
Saturday’s match, the second-to-last World Cup match in South Florida, is a huge opportunity for both teams. England is trying to reach the semifinals for just the second time in 30 years, while Norway is trying to advance to the semis for the first time ever.
“Outstanding players, world-class players, playing for probably one of the best national teams in the world at the moment,” Odegaard said of England. “So it’s going to be a big test for us. I think Brazil was the same. We were the underdogs and, as you saw, anything can happen in football.”
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