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Norway's Sørloth breaks silence on missed Haaland pass in World Cup exit

From Liberty Times · () Chinese

Translated from Chinese, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Norway's World Cup quarter-final exit to England was marked by a crucial missed opportunity by forward Alexander Sørloth.
  • Sørloth chose to shoot himself instead of passing to a wide-open Erling Haaland during a 2-on-1 counter-attack, a decision widely seen as a turning point.
  • Sørloth later explained his decision on social media, stating he believed the passing lane was closed and he was waiting for the defender's move.

Norway's World Cup journey ended in a 1-2 quarter-final defeat to England, a loss amplified by a critical missed chance that Norwegian forward Alexander Sørloth has since addressed.

I stopped the ball and looked up, and then I saw that Stones had blocked that passing lane. Then I took one more step, which was a shame. I was waiting for his move, not forcing him to make a move.

— Alexander SørlothThe Norwegian forward explained his thought process during a crucial missed opportunity in the World Cup quarter-final.

During a rapid counter-attack in the 44th minute, with Norway leading 1-0, Sørloth and Erling Haaland found themselves in a prime 2-on-1 situation against England's defense. Haaland was in a clear scoring position, but Sørloth opted to dribble and shoot himself rather than pass. His shot was blocked by England's goalkeeper Jordan Pickford, a moment many observers identified as the match's turning point.

Following the match, Sørloth faced intense criticism on social media. The Real Madrid striker broke his silence to explain his perspective. "I stopped the ball and looked up, and then I saw that Stones had blocked that passing lane," Sørloth stated. "Then I took one more step, which was a shame. I was waiting for his move, not forcing him to make a move."

In that situation, the only thing I wanted was to pass to Erling (Haaland). But at that moment, it felt like the passing lane was gone, so I decided to shoot myself.

— Alexander SørlothSørloth described his decision to shoot instead of pass to Haaland during a critical counter-attack.

He further elaborated, "In that situation, the only thing I wanted was to pass to Erling (Haaland). But at that moment, it felt like the passing lane was gone, so I decided to shoot myself." Norway's head coach, Ståle Solbakken, defended his player, attributing the missed opportunity to the fine margins of elite competition. "Alex (Sørloth) sprinted 40 to 50 meters at full speed, and he was looking for the exact moment to pass to Erling. He didn't find that moment, and then the chance slipped away; that's the marginal effect that decides life and death," Solbakken said.

Alex (Sørloth) sprinted 40 to 50 meters at full speed, and he was looking for the exact moment to pass to Erling. He didn't find that moment, and then the chance slipped away; that's the marginal effect that decides life and death.

— Ståle SolbakkenNorway's head coach defended Sørloth, attributing the missed chance to the fine margins of the game.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Liberty Times in Chinese. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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