Anyway, thanks all for your comments and company - night-night.
FULL-TIME! NORWAY 1-2 ENGLAND!
What a result that is! England were miserable for the best part of an hour, but Steph Houghton’s perfectly cliched captain’s goal gave them an equaliser, and after that, the combination play of Scott and Taylor, allied to the bite of Chapman, the trickery of Carney and fitness and drive of everyone allowed them to take control. They’ll play Canada on Saturday night for a place in the semi-final, and, given the draw, will fancy themselves for the final. Well!
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90+2 min The crowd boo as Scott again burrows to the corner, and we’re at last chance time - but again, Scott finds he way to the flag and rinses more time. England have been excellent since going behind, and particularly since going ahead; Norway have had almost nowt.
90 min There shall be three minutes of stoppage time, as Scott again holds the ball in the corner - they’re not asking who she is anymore.
89 min England are perilously close to getting through!
88 min This is great from Hegerberg, running away from Scott down the left, cutting in, and crunching a shot from 20 yards just over the top.
87 min Wold departs, Utland arrives.
87 min “I’ve only watched the second half, so can’t say for certain,” emails Andrew Gerrard, “but for the first 15 mins Norway were much faster and physical. Rather than the substitutions being the difference, is it possible that Norway are just knackered and England kept more in reserve in the heat?”
Yes - as I said, Norway look shattered. Also, England have rotated through the competition, so, though you sacrifice cohesion, you get freshness.
85 min England looking for the corners now, and when they can’t find them, just to keep possession - they look comfortable and composed, Taylor almost happening upon a third when Lund and Thorisdottir gets themselves into a muddle inside their own box.
83 min Scott and Taylor haver made a difference, but the changes have also allowed Chapman into an area of the pitch where she can rattle Norway’s midfield, instead of hoping to get in the way of their attackers.
81 min Scott, again winde on the right, crosses into Carney, who lays back for Chapman, accepts the return, and from outside the box, hurries through a snap-shot that has Hjelmseth scurrying to shovel around the post.
80 min I’ll say it. There’s more chance of a third England goal than a Norway equaliser. I wonder if Sampson will reward the players who’ve changed the game with a start next time, should England his team win.
78 min Norway look absolutely shattered.
WHAT A GOAL! Norway 1-2 England (Bronze, 76 mins)
Scott, who always has time on the ball, exchanges passes with Taylor, the kind of composed little move that was beyond England in the first half. Scott then rolls back into the path of Bronze, just outside the box, right corner, and she absolutely annihilates a shot that screeches into the near top corner. WHAT A GOAL!
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74 min But there’s a warning, Gulbransen curving a ball between Bassett and Bronze - she’s a player - and Hegerberg burns by the latter, clattering a shot into Bardsley’s fingers. She could do with improving her finishing, and once she does, she’ll be a serious threat, because her pace is something else.
72 min It’s not all England, but it’s certainly significantly England. They’re pressing higher up the pitch and forcing errors from a side that looks like it’s tiring.
72 min On the subject of Houghton’s goal, it probably looks more like this:
70 min Thorsnes replaces Minde, and when a long cross eludes Houghton and Bassett, either side of Herlovsen, she stretches into a shot that flies only just over the bar.
68 min The ball ricochets around the Norway box as Scott laces over a low cross - Norway aren’t enjoying this now, but manage to scramble clear.
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67 min “My friends and I beat Al Murray, Pub Landlord, and his team in a pub quiz earlier this evening,” emails Alys Barber-Rogers. “I’m taking this as an omen either that England will win because I’m on a roll or that they’ll lose because I’ve upset a classic English comic. I’m very conflicted.”
Seems fairly clear that this is shaping up into an archetypal penalty defeat.
65 min Carney, who might be better in a central role, turns up in a central position and spreads right to Bronze. She clips a low cross into Taylor, showing early, but she can’t quite escape Lund. Still, a promising sign.
63 min Taylor replaces Duggan, and suddenly England have momentum. There’s also a stoppage as Chapman clatters Gulbransen.
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GOAL! Norway 1-1 England 1 (Houghton 61)
Scott clips the corner towards the penalty spot, and there’s Houghton with a captain’s goal, brilliantly losing her marker to run inside and thud-guide a header into the bottom-right. It’s not dissimilar in execution to this:
But also minds of this:
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60 min Williams sends a ball out wide to Scott, alone on the right. No help arrives, so she’s forced to win a corner.
60 min Minde sends a long ball over the top for Herlovsen, racing between Houghton and Bassett. But it pitches and skips away from her - just.
59 min Jodie Taylor looks like she’s ready to come on, which might help England - if nothing else, it might encourage them to get the ball into the box, even if the midfield balance still isn’t right.
57 min England are back to a 4-2-3-1, with Scott on the right, Carney on the left and Chapman in the middle, or, put another way, still no help for Duggan. It’s hard not to conclude that Sampson is outsmarting himself here.
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GOAL! Norway 1-0 England (Gulbransen)
A Steve Bould special. Mykjaland whips one into the near post, Gulbransen steals in front of Rafferty, and flicks it superbly off her forehead and behind, the ball whizzing in off the bar.
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54 min Avant-garde - Scott comes on for Kirby, with England defending a corner, needlessly conceded by Bardsley. That said, she’s a lot more use in the circumstance than who she’s replaced.
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52 min Jill Scott is taking some advice, and looks set to take the long walk to join us. Let’s hope she does some good getting in the way.
51 min Norway win a corner down the right, Mykjaland over to take it. She sends an outswinger into the middle, and Bardsley, who’s been England’s best player, is out to claim well.
49 min Williams, who’s passing hasn’t been great, looks for Duggan down the left. It’s not perfect, but the way the ball skips off the turf and away must be a right annoyance.
47 min Kirby, infield, sends Carney away down the right - and there’s Hegerberg, haring after her like nobody’s business, shoulder-charging her off the ball to win the throw.
46 min Bronze burrows down the right immediately, Wold eventually stopping her, but that’s the kind of positive start they needed to make.
46 min England get us off again.
England don’t look like they’re making any changes - slightly odd - while Norway bring Thorisdottir on for Ronning, the captain, presumed injured.
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Out come the players again...
Half-time email: “It doesn’t matter what would improve what,” orders Matt Dony. “Surely, in the eyes of all right-thinking people, drum and bass/jungle (they’re near enough the same!) died the day Roni Size wandered off with Ok Computer’s Mercury Prize.”
New Forms is a great album - granted, not as good, but still good, an exceptional live.
Half-time: Norway 0-0 England
Not at all good by England. They look like they’ve been sent out to combat, rather than assert, and it’s showing.
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45+1 min Kirby, now on the right, forces a mistake out of Mjelde, harrying her down the by-line. But with with the opportunity to shoot, she instead settled for a corner that there may not be time to take. There is, but - it’s headed clear, and Carney rams a shot over the top.
45 min There shall be a single, solitary added minute.
45 min Two more corners forced by England, the second drilled flat for Houghton. She times her run and jump well, but her header’s blocked, and an infringement or other allows Norway to reset.
42 min A suit at a top league club told me that Laura Bassett was an accident waiting to happen, but she’s been excellent so far. Again, she stands up well to a long ball looking for Minde, forcing the foul that allows England to clear.
40 min Bronze turns a backpass short, and Hegerberg is onto it in a trice, winding up a shot as Bronze leans right into her; if she goes down, it’s a penalty. But she stays up, welting a effort into Bardsley’s midriff, when a more studied finish could have given her no chance.
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39 min Talking of techno, I found myself in a discotheque on a boat on the Seine recently - I’d forgotten how horrific it is. England have changed to a 4-2-3-1, the specific aim to get Chapman on Mykjaland.
38 min “Human Traffic is the last word on the national anthem for me”, says Tom Longfield. “Not quite jungle, but not only does it feature a techno emergency, and it’s got Danny Dyer in it.”
There’s also Radiohead
And a favourite Danny Dyer because why not.
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36 min Duggan is starting to hustle well, and she chases into Ronning, dwelling on a bouncing ball. She can’t quite chest it into her path, but these last few minutes have seen England apply a little pressure.
35 min England win a free-kick 30 yards out, just right of centre, and Williams steps up to luz it over the bar.
33 min “Fun fact about Norways Herlovsen,” emails Torbjørn O. Karlsen “Her father was a Norway international and used to play professionally for Borussia Mönchengladbach in the Bundesliga. Anyone else out there on the artificial pitch with a similar pedigree?”
Jordan Nobbs’ da, Keith, played for Hartlepool. Nowt more illustrious than that.
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31 min England win their first corner of the game, overhit from the right by Williams. But they maintain the pressure, Carney turning, coming in off the left and bounding between two players before being run out of it inside the box. But still, better again.
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29 min A little ray of hope for England, Kiby appearing at inside-right and skipping past one challenge and bundling through another that eventually relieves her of possession - but at lastm some enterprise.
28 min Wold arcs over a cross into the middle, looking for Hegerberg, and she’s up early - but Bronze and Bassett, though not exactly marking, are either side enough to be in the way enough, and the ball skids off her head and wide.
27 min The players pause to “take on board fluids”, also known as “having a drink”, while Jeremy Dresner notes that “Norway are playing a wonderful shade of Egil Olsen stuff.”
A little, but the movement of the front players is much better than England’s at the moment - it’s not just long-ball.
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25 min England just can’t get going here. Duggan is in unsplendid isolation, and the box in midfield means that the players aren’t close enough to one another; every pass is a risk.
23 min I should probably point out that it’s very warm out there - not Ottawa, rather Hottawa. Oh yes.
21 min Norway are on top here, Laura Bassett doing very well to insert a toe in front of Hegerberg as she chased Gulbrandsen’s long ball. I doubt it’ll be long before we see Sampson make an alteration.
18 min “Bach, in particular, would not benefit from a jungle makeover,” reckons Alex Brown. “Might be interesting to plant HM and family in a Congolese rainforest though.”
A kind of sunny, reality version of this classic show.
17 min Lovely diagonal ball over the top from Mykjaland, finding Minde at the far post. But it forces her just too wide, and she runs it into the side-netting from a narrow angle; Rafferty is relieved, because it was she who lost her runner.
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14 min “I don’t know if this proves or disproves your theory about everything sounding better given a jungle makeover,” emails Kári Tulinius, “but here’s a jungle remix of God Save the Queen. Mind you, it’s been long enough since I paid attention to genre differences that this might be something else than jungle.”
Thought that counts. Tangentially, I once became involved in a prolonged Twitter row about whether or not there was a difference between jungle and drum n’ bass. The correct answer, of course, is that there is.
12 min Mistake by Carney, left holding her heid as Herlovsen charges through the middle. But Bardsley is out very sharply, narrowing the angle, and Herlovsen, rushed, tries to flick it by her, instead finding her studs. Excellent keeping, but panicked finishing.
11 min Duggan seizes on a mistake by Mjelde and sends Kirby into the box, left side. But, unable to decide whether to take on her man or cut back to Duggan, she pauses and is run out of things.
9 min Bardsley kicks long, towards Duggan, and she leaps well, but no one’s within ten yards of her - England could do with sorting that. Perhaps Carney and Kirby might come in off the flanks, or Chapman be sent forward to help.
8 min Bit of composed possession for Norway, Hergerberg coming in off the left, but Houghton marshals her line well, and England get the ball away.
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6 min Mykjaland goes in the back of Carney with the ball long gone, and England have a free-kick, 5o yards out, towards the right touchline. Bassett goes long to the far post, looking for Chapman, but overhits the kick and that’s that.
5 min It really is a bit silly that this competition is taking place on artificial surfaces, and we see why when Carney nashes after a pass that runs away from her.
4 min Norway force consecutive corners down the right, and the second is slung in flat - it’s dangerous - but Bardsley does excellently to punch double-fisted, with Herlovsen waiting behind her.
2 min When the ball goes into touch, England look to build from the back, Bardsley tapping out, and they build well, Williams unfurling a scholesian inside-out pass to find Bronze pacing down the right. Her cross is good, too, but Duggan can’t get enough on the glance, and the ball slips off her forehead to safety.
1 min And off we go, Norway looking to get Minde at Rafferty immediately.
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Not that it’s hard, but God Save the Queen would be a lot better given a jungle makeover. But then, what wouldn’t.
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There’s been a lot of talk about how confident Norway are, and they certainly look like they enjoyed the tension of the tunnel more than England, who seem very focused.
Things you don’t expect to hear: Jonathan Pearce referencing Henrik Ibsen. Things you do expect to hear: Jonathan Pearce referencing that Norwegian commentary.
So, I suppose thry cancel out, but feel free to send in your unexpected hearings - and, while we’re here, sightings. One to get you going: a minor UK comedy actor sneakily smoking an e-cigarette during the sermon in synagogue (contravening the laws of the Sabbath).
Email, with Cathal Chu: “We’ve now reached the knock-out stages of the Women’s World Cup, but there has been no sign anywhere in Canada of the self-proclaimed ‘godfather of women’s football’. I wonder why?”
Think he’s at Butlins Minehead.
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So, Sampson has picked a team to counter the specific long-ball threat of Norway. Chapman - “ready for a big game” - will help shield the defence, and the full-backs offer plenty going in both directions, with Bronze’s ability to stop the cross considered of particular value.
Back to the teams, England have made four changes - curiously, three at the back, where Bronze, Bassett and Rafferty come in. In midfield, Katie Chapman, who did not start the competition well, replaces Jordan Nobbs, Mark Sampson doing his best to ensure his team aren’t outworked or outmuscled.
The winners of this tie will meet Canada in the next round; they’ve just beaten Switzerland 1-0, and their manager is flexing his large muscles, already accentuated in tight-sleeved, turned-up shirt.
Teams!
Norway: Hjelmseth, Skammelsrud, Tofte Ims, Mjelde, Ronning, Gulbrandsen, Herlovsen,Wold, Mykjaland, Minde, Hegerberg.
England: Bardsley; Rafferty, Williams, Houghton, Bassett, Carney, Moore,Bronze, Chapman, Duggan, Kirby.
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Preamble
Sport, and football in particular, live, thrive and survive on hype and hyperbole. But occasionally, we find ourselves in a situation where none is necessary: we will shortly be entertained by the biggest game in English women’s football history.
And they really might win it. They started the group well enough and gradually improved, growing in confidence and conviction, and will consider Norway a difficult but surmountable obstacle; organised and physical, but without England’s flexibility and creativity.
Quite how England will line up is impossible to predict. Manager Mark Sampson has used all 20 outfield players, in a variety of formations and styles, and now, with Jodie Taylor available, can tweak even further. If she is as sharp as she says, and if Karen Carney can find her best form, his will be a difficult team to beat.
Kick-off: 10pm
