‘Everyone saw what happened’: Norway coach says ball struck cable before England equaliser
Miami, July 12 (IANS) Norway’s head coach Stale Solbakken reflected on the controversy around Jude Bellingham’s equaliser in the FIFA World Cup quarter-final and said it’s pretty clear that the ball hit the overhead cable, but the referee said he didn’t see it himself and didn’t get any message about it.
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland’s goal kick appeared to clearly strike a camera wire late in the first half, allowing England to quickly surge forward on the attack and Bellingham scored the tying goal. Norway’s goalkeeper Nyland and Solbakken protested to the referee; their protests went unheard.
Replays appeared to show a Norway goal kick hitting a cable in the buildup, although FIFA said there was “no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball.”
“He said that he didn’t see it himself and that he didn’t get any message that it actually happened,” Solbakken was quoted by The Guardian. “Since Fifa says that there was no touch, he can’t do anything about it. But the ball fell down straight in front of the bench, so it did. Everyone saw what happened. I think it’s pretty clear that it did. it was a strange thing.”
“I can sit here and cry but I don’t want to do that. We have done everything we could – the players have been phenomenal throughout the tournament. OK it was bizarre, but it’s part of football and why it is the best sport in the world because things like that can happen. We have to accept it, he said.
As per the rule, if the ball had been noticed hitting the wire, play would have stopped and a drop ball would have been utilised to determine possession. But, play was not interrupted. However, the game kept going.
“It was unlucky for us. The ball fell straight down from the sky, so it takes this direction. It became a misunderstanding among our players, and it was a bad moment for us. 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.