As England celebrated and thoughts moved to preparations for a World Cup 2026 semi-final, the manager had other things on his mind.
“We made life very, very difficult for ourselves today. We were lucky today,” said Thomas Tuchel after his Three Lions side secured a hard-fought 2-1 win over Norway in the quarter-finals in Miami.
The experienced German will not want to put a damper on the result, but rather put it into context. England could well have lost this game, and there were large portions where they struggled, though once again their talisman came to the rescue as Jude Bellingham’s brace secured a narrow win.
However, while England will need to be better as a team against either Argentina or Switzerland in the next round, plenty of players showed up in difficult circumstances in Miami in a win that offered plenty of encouragement despite not being convincing.
“The subs were warriors, they didn't look like they were new to it,” said Jude Bellingham after the game. It felt like a pointed remark, made by a man who knew the importance of the help he received as he dragged his side into the last four at the World Cup.
It was Bellingham who got a tired England back into the game, the 23-year-old taking matters into his hands once more as he rounded two defenders before rifling in a low effort that gave Orjan Nyland little chance.
England had dominated much of the first half but anyone who expected them to come out firing in the second half would have been disappointed, with Norway controlling the game as they looked for an unlikely win.
Torbjørn Heggem thought he had put his side ahead as he bundled in from a corner, only for it to be ruled out for a push on Elliot Anderson in the build-up. Norway continued to threaten, but though it looked for some time like a goal would come, Tuchel had the answers, even if he had to stumble a bit to get to them.
In the end, the answers were many, and they came in several forms. Tuchel’s first problem came as Declan Rice was forced off at half-time, with Eberechi Eze chosen to replace him in midfield. Bellingham moved back, but still Norway were the better side.
Reece James was the next answer, the Chelsea captain as dependable as ever in midfield. But if that cameo showed why he could still be such a vital part of this England team, his performance when moved to right-back was perfect as he nullified the threat of Antonio Nusa.
Nevertheless, that move left another void in midfield, and this time it was the turn of Morgan Rogers to partner the ever-reliable Elliot Anderson. As was the case with James, Rogers brought a level of composure and energy that helped stabilise England.
And the more attack-minded Rogers eventually got his moment around the penalty box too, the Aston Villa man firing a low effort from outside the box that Nyland could only spill into the path of Bellingham.
England’s talisman needed no invitation to bundle home from close range, but while his brace will grab the headlines as he becomes the face of this England team, this was a performance where the names behind the scenes also came to the fore.
Eze might not have provided as much threat as he wanted to when he came on but he was a key man in many of England’s good periods of possession, while Djed Spence was superb in a cameo that brought plenty of energy. The Tottenham defender provided a threat down the wing and defended diligently, and was unlucky to see a penalty that he had won get overturned by VAR.
Bukayo Saka, though usually a starter in such circumstances, was also a revelation in attack once he came on, dominating the Norwegian defence and providing a constant outlet.
Along with James in particular, he provided some real star quality and reminded England fans – and perhaps Tuchel – that those better performances might hinge somewhat on whether or not a fully fit right-hand side can play together in the semi-finals.
As England move into the last four, it is another forgettable performance on what will be another unforgettable night for those in Miami.
However, not every performance has to blow the opposition away. Tuchel has previously argued the merits of picking “specialists for all kinds of scenarios”, and his players vindicated him this evening. With some tinkering – and a slice of luck with injuries – England still have one of the most capable squads left in the tournament, and they can be full of confidence whether they end up facing Argentina or Switzerland.
Tonight’s result and the win over Mexico have proved, as Bellingham and Tuchel pointed out, that the mentality is there in this England side. What remains to be seen is whether or not they can click on the pitch enough to fulfil their potential, and they’ll get at least one more chance to do so in Atlanta on Wednesday.
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