England's World Cup semi-final hinges on taming Haaland – and the men who feed him

Erling Haaland has been the defining force of Norway’s surprising World Cup run. The striker has scored seven of Norway’s twelve goals in the tournament, a staggering 58 percent haul. Over his entire international career, he finds the net every 71.2 minutes. England now face the task of stopping him in Saturday’s semi-final in Miami. Haaland’s physical presence was on full display when he outmuscled Gabriel in Norway’s round-of-16 victory over Brazil. If the service is precise, the Manchester City forward can dismantle any defence. His primary supplier is Martin Ødegaard, who has completed more passes to Haaland at this World Cup than any other teammate (12). Ødegaard himself has three assists so far, trailing only Michael Olise, Brahim Díaz and Bruno Guimarães. Against Brazil, Ødegaard dictated the tempo, completing nearly three times as many passes as any Brazilian player as Norway held just 34 percent possession yet won 2-1. England’s midfield – particularly Declan Rice and Elliot Anderson – must cut those supply lines. Thomas Tuchel’s tactical plan also has to account for the left-sided threat from Andreas Schjelderup and Antonio Nusa, who are competing for a starting spot. Schjelderup has created three chances for Haaland in the tournament. Another key: forcing Haaland onto his weaker right foot, which accounts for only 11.61 percent of his 112 Premier League goals. Gary Neville noted that Haaland can appear anonymous before exploding into action. England’s centre-back pairing of Ezri Konsa and Marc Guéhi have faced him before. Konsa has allowed four shots in two meetings without conceding a goal; Guéhi also allowed four shots in two matches but conceded twice. Guéhi, who trains with Haaland at club level, acknowledged the challenge: “I know he’ll be up for it. It’s going to be fun.” If England can suppress Haaland and disrupt Ødegaard’s rhythm, a place in the World Cup final is within reach.