England’s controversial first goal against Norway in the quarter-finals was correctly given after FIFA reviewed more evidence
New evidence from multiple camera angles has proven that FIFA were correct to allow Jude Bellingham’s controversial first England goal in the World Cup quarter-final against Norway.
Replays of the build up to the goal appeared to show the direction of the ball altered significantly with Norway claiming it struck the spidercam or one of the cables that holds it in the air.
The passage of play started with Orjan Nyland’s goal-kick which was taken out of the sky with ease by Elliot Anderson after the ball looked to change angle quite suddenly. He then played a pass into Anthony Gordon with Bellingham picked out by the new Barcelona signing and then duly finishing expertly.
Several angles have since shown that the spidercam may have been hit, but the Daily Mail is now claiming that several other perspectives were combed through by FIFA which demonstrate that the ball followed a completely normal flight path.
Spidercam footage was also watched and it was determined that there was no impact on any cables as there was no ‘wobble’.
It was also claimed that while the ball’s angle does appear to shift, a video clip from the side shows that the long punt forward dipped naturally and followed an arc expected of such an action. FIFA issued a statement immediately afterwards confirming there was no peak registered in the ball’s heartbeat sensor.
This same heartbeat sensor technology was previously used to disallow Croatia’s last-gasp equaliser against Portugal for an offside after detecting a slight touch.
Despite the compelling evidence, Norway remained deeply unhappy with the decision to allow the goal, with Norway duo Sander Berge and Andreas Schjelderup among those making their feelings clear.
The former said: “It’s ridiculous, this one with the wire, 2-1 says itself – there are small margins and we know which way it went.” Schjelderup, who scored for Norway, went even further in his assessment, telling TV2: “You see that the ball changes direction and lands ten meters earlier. I haven’t seen the pictures again, but if it hit, it’s a scandal.”
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Stale Solbakken, the Norway boss, also had his say. “Many on the bench reacted immediately I was not one of them,” he said. “I can’t say anything about that because FIFA, if there is no sound in the chip, what can I say against that.
“The ball drops straight down from heaven. I saw another way just then so I also don’t know what happened. I think it’s pretty clear that it did and yeah, it was a strange thing.” Bellingham’s second goal proved far less contentious, arriving in extra-time to propel England into the World Cup semi-finals, where they will now face Argentina.
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