MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) 鈥� A goal kick appeared to late in the first half of the England-Norway match in the quarterfinals on Saturday, shortly before England’s Jude Bellingham scored the tying goal.
By rule, if the ball had been noticed hitting the cable, play would have stopped and a drop ball would have been utilized to determine possession. FIFA, more than an hour afterward, said there was 鈥渘o evidence鈥� that the ball hit the wire 鈥� citing technology in the ball.
鈥淏efore England鈥檚 goal … the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the 鈥榟eartbeat of the ball鈥� when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball,鈥� FIFA said.
It’s unclear when or how FIFA reviewed that data. in extra time.
The match was not interrupted and it was not even known if the video assistant referee, Jerome Brisard, reviewed the play. Brisard was also in the VAR role for the Argentina-Egypt match in the quarterfinals, one where Argentina rallied to win 3-2 and Egypt complained the officiating was unfair.
Norway goalkeeper Orjan Nyland took the kick to start the play in question Saturday, which was controlled by England seconds after the trajectory of the ball changed, suggesting it brushed one of the cables used to suspend a robotically controlled camera. The ball was eventually played to Bellingham, who beat Nyland with a low shot to the far post.
Nyland slapped the turf in frustration and he, Norway star striker and coach St氓le Solbakken had words for referee Clement Turpin of France after the play and going into halftime.
鈥淗e says that he didn鈥檛 see it himself and that he didn鈥檛 get any message that it actually happened,鈥� Solbakken said. 鈥淔IFA says there was no touch and that there was no signal in the chip in the ball, so he can鈥檛 do anything about it. But the ball fell straight down. … It did touch it.鈥�
Solbakken also insisted that’s not why Norway lost.
鈥淟et’s not make this the story of the match,鈥� he said.
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