England vs. Norway: Full preview & predictions for World Cup quarterfinal clash 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🇳🇴 | ESPN FC

This has been a familiar scene, hasn't it, throughout the World Cup.Norway and their fans winning a lot of supporters with the way in which they've conducted themselves around the tournament and they've rowed themselves into the quarter -final now.Oh, quite right.Does it?No, let's not do that again.Sailing.

They're not sailing though, are they?They're rowing.

Oh, that's a big difference.Let's get on with it.

Let's rock him in, shall we?Adrian Healy is here, but I want to start with Archie.Archie, where are you and why are you there?

Got lost.

I'm in Oslo, which is, of course, the capital of Norway, Dan, but you knew that, and I'm here to experience it as an Englishman in Norway.Tomorrow I will be in a stadium full of 22 ,000 Norwegians.That sold out in 30 seconds on Thursday.People here are very skeptical of how the tickets were sold.But yeah, the people are very pumped.They are very polite about it, though.

I've had people coming up to me and going, hello, where are you from?I'm from England.Oh, OK.We think we will beat you.Goodbye.So it's been quite an experience so far.

But ultimately, let's see what happens.I would call them polite assassins.And yeah, I asked one guy, Tor, not Tor, Torey, as in Torey Andre Float, Thor, like Hammer of Thor.I was speaking to him earlier and he was telling me how much he likes the team because they're so humble and how this team has got everyone on side.And then I asked him the magic question, of course, Dan, what do you think of Jan Arge Fjortoft?And there was a beep.

I thought, oh, go on, say the magic word, say who, and instead he said legend, and I was like...Don't tell Jan that.

Would the Scots have responded the same if the Englishman was there amongst the Scots fans?

Archie would already have been in pieces.I don't know where...

He'd have been just limbs lying over there.

ground.

It'd be very much like trainspotting.We'd walk on him.Ade, where were you and why are you there?

I'm right in the heart of Miami Beach, Dan, a place you know well.I know Ocean Drive, which has been kind of the central hub for both sets of fans.But we're down at the Norwegian end, just to keep that theme going.Because I tell you what, they seem to have become everyone's second favorite team in the store.And all the papers here, we're talking about how they've gone from charming underdogs to everyone's second favorite.Now the US are out.

I think there's a lot of Americans Again behind the Norwegian fans and team to and right here on Ocean Drive just a couple of hours ago Yeah, and they're gonna do it again later.By the way, the Viking row I'm not sure the Vikings ever rode anywhere this hot They always patrolled some Which hotel Frank Betsy hotel on Ocean Drive Betsy.Oh, no the Betsy No, the Betsy is just down there, not far from it.

If you stayed there, I'm sure you'd like it.You've been to the wrong place, though, then.

Was this a holiday programme?

No, that's a very nice place where you can have a nice lemonade because it seems to be very hot.

You know when you whisper, everyone can still hear you?

I wasn't whispering.

Adrian.Adrian, I know...Shut up, Frank.

Adrian, I know England had to contend with the altitude in Mexico, but at 5pm tomorrow, Put your meteorologist hat on.How hot is it going to be at 5pm tomorrow?We need a forecast, yeah.

Well, if it's like today, it's going to be melting temperatures.I mean, this is it.This time tomorrow, it's going to be...I think it's going to be a very, very different game than the last time.enjoyed against Mexico.They have to be playing slow.

I mean, put a bunch of northern Europeans together in South Florida in July.There's no way it's going to be fast.It's just going to be slow.It's going to have to be slow.It's going to have to be deliberate.I wouldn't be surprised if it's tight and cagey and the exact opposite from what we saw in Mexico City.

That's true, that's the wrong place for a game like that.Well, it's there now, we can't change it.Who has the advantage with this weather?

No one.We're going to see all red faces all around the field.That's going to be a nightmare for any teams.We could have said that when England played against Mexico, that was for the advantage of the Mexicans.But right now, there, everybody plays in Europe.And playing in Miami during the summer, it's just terrible.

Because on top of the heat, you have the humidity.So it's really hard.It has to be England.

has the advantage in terms of they have, across the squad, a better quality of player.Right.You know, they have, Norway that is, have good players and a superstar up front.Certainly in Mexico, England had two or three superstars, Kane being one, Bellingham was certainly another, and then you've got Rice and they have a better quality of player.Not to say that they're playing better at this tournament than Norway, you could argue that, but they have a better individual quality.Now, Whether that shines through or not remains to be seen.

Or whether Norway can get enough service up to Erling Haaland like they did against Brazil.Would you think about it?Norway have never been out of a... past the last 16.They've made history being in a quarter -final.They could be in a semi -final of a World Cup.But they've already knocked Brazil out.

I know it's not a great, great Brazil team.but they have already knocked Brazil out in Boston with Erling Haaland taking the headlines.I'm going to say three or four years ago this really wasn't a difficult game to call because Norway's team was not very good.It was Erling Haaland and a bunch of other guys.That's not the case now.No.

It's a really close game to call now between these two countries.

Archie, is it patronising to say Norway have already won, given the fact that they beat Brazil and made it into the quarterfinals?

Not necessarily, because to some of the people I was speaking to earlier were saying, look, we will celebrate tomorrow night no matter what happens because of how much of an achievement it is that we've got this far.But the thing is, is that the question they're not asking why can they win this game?It's why not?Because they have Erling Haaland and he gives them that extra piece of quality, which means that he can win a game on his own.except, as Craig's been saying there, there is more to this Norwegian team.I question whether Oy and Neuland can have two successive games in a row which are as good as the one that he played against Brazil.

There are question marks behind this Norwegian defence still, but on the other hand...This England team has not convinced in every game.There have been chances given up in every game against their opponents as well.So it is a very difficult one to call, but here everyone is very much confident to believe.Why can't they overcome England given how well they've done in this tournament?

I'm sorry.So I think it would be for me. a disappointment if they don't go through.No way.No way.They've been exceptional during the qualification so far.They didn't have anything to complain about.

They've done the job and really they should unite and how they work together and how they end up their games.It's so far perfect.So why you cannot be ambitious and think that you can even win the World Cup because with that team and England as a team.

agreed has been united I would say against Mexico but otherwise didn't prove anything they weren't as efficient as a as a Norwegian so for me that's why I think they had ten men they were down to ten men England and I think that's one of the one of the questions going into this game as well in the heat in Miami is what condition are these England players in after that monumental effort in the Azteca, and it was, at altitude, with a man down for almost 45 minutes.You could easily say that Norway had pretty much an easier game, they definitely had an easier game, and an easiest game, knocking Brazil out, whereas England had a hell of a time to get over that line.So there has to be less in their legs than there is in Norwegian legs, who are already a very athletic side as it is.Oh, so you're making friends?What's going on?Yeah, we're talking when I'm talking there.

What's happening?Oh, boy.

So this is Elias, who's just come and given me a Norwegian scarf.So out of politeness, I've put it on.Elias, I heard you say that you think Norway will not just win tomorrow, you think that they will...Win the World Cup, yeah.Why?

Erling Breitholen and Ørjan Nyland.

Oh wow, you're not even mentioning Martin Odegaard anymore.

I'm an Arsenal fan, so Odegaard is my favourite player.But in Norway, Nylander and Haaland are the biggest players.

Ask him if there's any small Norwegians.

We have a question from the studio for you.Are there any small Norwegians?

Yeah, yeah, there are a lot, but I'm not one of them.

We can see that.

Elias, thank you very much for your time.Of course.

Thank you so much.Cheers.Take care.One of the big Norwegians is Erling Haaland, who's been very much the superstar of this tournament so far.He's grabbedthe headlines no matter where you are in the world, given what he did, especially against Brazil.

It's hammer time.Here's the man himself.

I think there's some clear favorites out there.England's one of them, so I think all of you should put every single pressure on the English lads.Put all the pressure on the English, eh?

Yeah, you know, The thing about him is not only how fantastically he's been playing, he's been playing with a smile on his face, almost the most relaxed I've ever seen Erling Haaland play.Just like, this is all house money, this is all gravy.He's become a sensation here.almost in the days leading up to this game.It's been like the paparazzi following him around Miami and Fort Lauderdale, whatever restaurant he's been eating in.Norway have been here all week.

The two teams took different approaches.Norway have been here the whole week.England just flew in last night.But Haaland has turned into an absolute sensation and a superstar.And it's obviously, goes without saying, the key to England's success tomorrow.Can they cut down those challenges?

You're not going to deny him complete chances during the game are you but if you can at least restrict that you can give yourself a good chance he's he's very likable he is you know I mean from on the pitch the way you celebrate that second goal was so cool from what he's been doing on social media during this tournament there's a there's almost like a kid element to it yeah and it's incredible to witness from from somebody that good and we of course know Nolan Holland from from playing for Manchester City and everything that comes with that this is almost a different side to him putting on the national team shirt, representing Norway at the World Cup for the first time in 28 years, and how he's managed his stardom, how he's managed his presence.with the Norwegian team, it really has been a joy to witness.Also, as somebody mentioned, Norway has, since Scotland left the tournament, Norway has become everybody else's second team.And there's just this good feeling around Norway, who they are, who they've shown themselves.

Who was supporting Scotland?everybody in Boston for starters.They were supporting the fans.Well that's what I'm saying.

I'm just saying everybody is willing Norway on in the way that well they were hoping for the Scots maybe they didn't get it but they're willing Norway on and so the thing for me is even if Norway loses this game and goes all three tournaments at this competition I think they're they come away winners.I think they'll be well -received back home.I'm not sure you can say the same about the English.There's a different kind of pressure that comes with being in England and having to get to a semi -final, especially when you see the team.So there's an added pressure to England.But while the Mexico game was difficult, I think England learned a lot about themselves during that game.

If you had offered me playing in the heat of Miami or the altitude of Mexico, I would have taken the heat of Miami.Yet you go to Mexico, you deal with that altitude in the way that you do, I think you come away better for it.

And we'll be getting predictions from everyone in the studio a little later on, but let's go to Ade, who really looks like he's enjoying the sun.

Yes.You know I love this one.I'm that classic Englishman, Dan, that used to dream of living in the sun.And now I get to live my dream.Yes.Tomorrow, it's going to be tight.

It's going to be tight.I'm going to go.England have found a way to overcome lots of obstacles, lots of hurdles, lots of games where it could have gone in another direction.They've found their way to this point.and I think they're going to find a way past Norway.It won't be without its challenges.

I'm going to say 2 -1 England after extra time.1 -1 at 90 minutes, and they find a way to win it.Jude Bellingham probably does something heroic at extra time, and England scrape through.

Thank you very much, Jake.I'm going to find some AC somewhere.Archie, you don't have that problem, but I still would like to hear your prediction before you leave.

Dan, for my own safety, it will be Norway 2, England 1.