England scores in World Cup match with Norway after ball appears to hit camera cable over field

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MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. (AP) — A goal kick appeared to clip a cable over the field late in the first half of the England-Norway match in the World Cup 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 “no evidence” that the ball hit the wire — citing technology in the ball.

“Before England’s goal ... the sensor in the Connected Ball showed no peak in the ‘heartbeat of the ball’ when in the air, and therefore no evidence that the ball touched the overhead wire and changed the movement of the ball,” FIFA said.

It's unclear when or how FIFA reviewed that data. England went on to win 2-1 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 Erling Haaland and coach Ståle Solbakken had words for referee Clement Turpin of France after the play and going into halftime.

“He says that he didn’t see it himself and that he didn’t get any message that it actually happened,” Solbakken said. “FIFA says there was no touch and that there was no signal in the chip in the ball, so he can’t do anything about it. But the ball fell straight down. ... It did touch it.”

Solbakken also insisted that's not why Norway lost.

“Let's not make this the story of the match,” he said.

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